Open Seas
by banshee-hime
Summary: Ace begins his adventures as a WB Pirate only to meet the charismatic and bold one-(wo)man delivery service pilot. The young pirate soon learns that there is more to the strange girl than looks and sick flying skills. She was proud of her freedom. Of her ability to have an exit strategy. She was a Migratory Bird. Then she met that darn stubborn pirate. She blames the rum. AcexOC
1. Strange Waves Sailing

**Hello and welcome my dear readers! **

**A little bit of info about my attitude towards this story:**

**It is an idea that has been in my head for a while, kind of swishing around and cooking. I feel like it's ready to finally greet the world. **

**This story is not my priority, so updating will be slow and random. Mostly it's a case of me reading a review and getting inspired.**

**This is also my first time writing for OP, I'm a bit nervous hehehe~**

**A little bit about the story:**

**Timeline is before Luffy sails, a few months after Ace and WB had a showdown. **

**I have a bit of a plot, but it is still in experimenting stages. I mostly want to see how my OC and Ace interact. I have no idea where I am going concerning Ace's death either. I figured, I'll deal with it when it comes. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own my OCs and the plot; also some headcannons I suppose**

**Chapter 1: Strange Waves Sailing – Mix by Kill mR DJ**

It's been a few weeks since Ace has succumbed to the inevitable. The Spade Pirates were swallowed into the giant crew of the Yonko, Whitebeard, and he, their Captain, wasn't an exception. The young man was pissed to say the least. At first he had acted rashly, trying to take the Whitebeard's head. Many times. He wasn't one to give up. He sometimes wondered if his stubbornness was a fault or a value. Value, he had decided. It was most definitely a value. That's what has gotten him all the way. His stubborn head.

In spite of all doubts, of all the bad things, he had believed in both himself and his dream. His crew had become a part of that dream quickly. Spade Pirates were his dream. But then, this beast of a man, this monster full of power, swallowed them like nothing.

Ace wondered when he had been lulled into the sense of security. He thought that maybe, just maybe, when he denied the title of Shichibukai, his nose had lengthened a tad. Ok a lot. He had grown arrogant and reckless. He supposed that he was lucky that Whitebeard was the one he had gone after. Then again, his crew members were no pushovers. They could hold their own. But not against the Commanders. Even less against Whitebeard. He had seen that damn flaming chicken in action a few days back. Ace didn't want to admit it, but the first commander was impressive. And he had also seen that other guy, Vista, going berserk. Ace didn't want to admit it, but he was below their level. He needed more training. He needed to get stronger.

Ace has been stationed in the Second division. It was Commander-less, which was unfortunate for the members. That meant that they had to train on their own, or seek help from other Commanders and fellow division members. Not like a lot of them trained. Mostly they sang, drank and danced. Yes, the Whitebeard Pirates were big on parties. Ace couldn't believe it at first. He thought only Red Hair went all out on the booze, but he had been wrong. Shanks was so laid back, so relaxed at all times, with a great sense of humor, parties somehow suited him and his crazy crew. Whitebeard, on the other hand, he seemed serious. Too serious for the drunk insanity that pirate parties brought with them. But, Ace had misjudged the man. Maybe because he had fought him first, then partied with him? He couldn't imagine many of his enemies partying. That brought a bad image into his head.

But, the worst part about the Commander-less division was the thrice damned paperwork. Ace had been taught how to read and white, along with Luffy, mostly by Makino. That poor woman. The duo had been impossible to handle. He admired her patience and mental strength. And then Sabo had come. He, too, knew letters. After teasing Ace and Luffy a whole lot, the stubborn brothers had showed their guts and learned how to write. At times like these recent ones, Ace wished that he hadn't been that stubborn to learn to read and write.

Not many pirates were literate, so it fell to the ones who were to do the paperwork. The flaming chicken helped often, letting them ask questions, but the actual work was always on the division members. The Whitebeard pirates had a strict system. They were protectors of many territories and the divisions were responsible for their parts of the land. That required reading reports from said islands, calculating supplies, sending the proper amount of gold to them, assigning a group to go settle disputes and other things like that. It was almost like running a country. And man, Ace wasn't King material no matter how much he looked the part. He hated the paperwork. He had adopted a strategy; annoy the flaming chicken with as many questions as possible. The First Commander would then deem him unable to do the papers and dump them on another crew member or do them himself. Ace didn't mind looking a bit stupid if it meant being paper-free. Sooner or later, Marco would get suspicious, if he wasn't already. The Commander knew exactly how smart Ace was. And the youth found it annoying that the seemingly laid back man was figuring him out fast. He couldn't wriggle out of his chores these days because of the flaming chicken. He had thought that he was quite proficient in the chore-evasion-skill, but alas, the Commander had caught onto his game. Cramping his style.

Ace sighed, enjoying the night air. It was late, the party, one of many, had finally simmered down, leaving the raven in silence. The former Captain lay on his back, comfortable on the upper floors of the deck. He had figured out in the first couple of days aboard the Moby Dick that not many visited the roof of the Captain's quarters. He often lay there, unbothered, like tonight. There was a cup of sake next to him, almost empty. He hadn't drunk a lot. He usually does, but he didn't. Irrational. Uncharacteristic. Ace wasn't in too good of a mood. He felt nostalgic and melancholic. Almost like he missed Foosha Village. Keyword almost. He missed Luffy a lot. Mostly when they docked. He couldn't wait for his brother to join him at the seas. But he never regretted his choice to leave first. They each had their own adventure, wherever their path took them.

Ace took a sip of the sake, enjoying it. It was rare for the crew to drink sake, but Ace had been super sneaky and had snatched some from a very drunk Thatch. Who had probably gotten in from Whitebeard's stash. They would, without doubts, be sorry later, but it was worth it. The sake was great.

Ace opened his eyes, looking at the sky. It was huge, with thousands if little lights. Magical looking. He liked this. Laying on the roof, the planks still warm from all the sun during the day, good sake in his hand, wide starry skies above him and the sound of the ocean lulling him to sleep. This was how life was supposed to be.

~~~~~pb~~~~~

Ace awoke to the uncomfortable shaking of his shoulder. He tried to shove the person away, but they continued to bug him.

"Leamlone." He mumbled, rolling away from the offending hand. But the determined limb followed him and shook him once again, a distant voice calling his name.

"I said leave me alone." Ace clarified, rolling onto his back. He slightly opened his eyes, only to meet Marco's bored gaze.

"Get up, Pops is looking for you, yoi." The First Commander told him. That was an order. Ace disliked orders. That's why he had been Captain in the first place. The raven sat up and suddenly his head pounded angrily. His hand rose to rub his forehead. He heard Marco laughing at him. Stupid flaming chicken. Ace was tempted to fire a bird joke. He stopped himself in time, though. The First Commander had iron self-control, but when he let loose, he let loose. As in full-on rampage loose. It was cool, when it wasn't directed at Ace.

The raven stood, his head protesting again. He stumbled, only to get caught by the first mate. Marco helped him down onto the deck and left him there. "That's what you get for drinking Pop's sake, yoi." The Commander threw with a final laugh over his shoulder. Ace attempted to walk to the Captain's quarters with dignity. Which meant a straight line. Well, maybe not straight, but decently straightish. It failed. A couple of times he greeted the wall. He blamed the wall.

Finally, his destination was in front of him. He knocked on the huge door and entered, after hearing the approval.

"Morning, Pops." He greeted, the words still weird on his tongue. He saw Thatch sitting in front of the Yonko. The pompadour head looked as bad as Ace felt.

"Good morning, son." Whitebeard boomed, both of his currently present sons flinching. Ace wondered if the man was doing it on purpose. Highly probable. "Take a seat." The Yonko continued. Ace settled himself next to his partner in crime. Whitebeard stayed silent for a while, watching the troublemaking duo squirm.

"Gurarararara!" The mountain of a man laughed, his sons cringing again. "That's what you get for taking my stuff, you two." The old pirate didn't seem too mad. He seemed amused. "I suppose I need to give you a punishment, don't I?" Ace and Thatch exchanged glances. Ace didn't expect this conversation to go like this. He expected yelling. He expected anger. Not teasing and amusement.

"Well then." Whitebeard continued as his sons were silent. "You will be cleaning the lowest floor of the ship along with your usual chores." Thatch froze, his face expressing horror. Ace wasn't sure why the Commander looked that terrified. He had never been on the lowest level, though. He had heard that it was mostly used for storage, but other than that, no one really talked about it. Or went there, for that matter. "Also, on the nest island, you will be the ones running errands and watching the ship." Ace smirked. This wasn't a punishment at all. This was a normal day on his ship. Thatch, on the other hand, looked heartbroken. Obviously he had wanted to party and have fun with his brothers on the next island. Now those dreams were crushed. The pompadour was looking at the old man with a gaze that could only be described as puppy eyes. Ace watched in amusement as the Yonko didn't react to the silent pleading.

"Scram."

Ace and Thatch jumped up at the dismissal, grinning at each other while leaving. The raven could feel his new Captain's stare on his back. It didn't waver until the door closed after the duo. Marco was standing outside of the quarters, waiting for his turn to speak with the Captain. He smirked at Ace and Thatch, the latter sticking his tongue out to retort. The First Commander looked unusually smug, rather than bored. For the second time that day, Ace wondered what the lowest floor was all about. Obviously it was a bad punishment. He decided that he would ask Leo about it. Thatch and Ace split up, the Commander heading to his rooms and Ace targeting the cafeteria.

The glutinous raven was at the desired destination in a few minutes. He truly loved this ship, Ace realized. The layout was brilliant. And he admired the cafeteria. His ship had had only a small dining room. But this, this was a kingly cafeteria. Maybe it was due to Ace spending so much time in it, maybe it was just because he liked it, that the raven had memorized that room first.

It had a high ceiling, with a bit of the construction visible. Some of the crew members liked to lounge up there while eating and drinking. Ace didn't find the position too appealing. He couldn't get seconds easily from up there. The room had a few long tables in it, able to accommodate the large number of Whitebeard Pirates. There were windows on the opposite side of the door, allowing the ones sitting near them to look out to the sea while eating. Ace liked to sit at that table, the furthest from the door, but the closest to the round windows. The pirate greeted some of the rare awake members of the crew casually, only half-listening to the mumbled, sleepy responses. He walked over to the window where the cooks gave them their food and greeted the pirate on-duty.

It was a fairly older man, younger than Pops, but still old compared to the rest of the crew Ace associated with, maybe in his forties? He had practically adopted Ace, delighted with the young man's appetite. Thus, the raven had gained his reputation of a black hole for food fast. The old man was a horrible gossip, though.

"Morning, Kondor." The cook turned to him, lowering the wine bottle from his mouth.

"Ace, my boy!" A grin spread on Kondor's face. He looked rather tipsy. Hell, he looked drunk. Ace figured that the party never stopped for some of them. He wondered if he, too, would end up like this someday, drinking wildly in his forties. He smiled at the mental image of his old self hugging an older Luffy and chugging down booze.

"Will it be the usual?" Kondor brought Ace back to reality, and the younger nodded. By now, most of the cooks knew Ace's menu. He ate a lot, but he liked to eat the familiar food.

"A-aaah~ Delightful!" Kondor began preparing the food without looking. He was focused on the way Ace had cringed at the older pirate's volume. "Hungover, I suppose?"

"Yeah, I participated in Thatch's devious plan." This caused the old pirate to laugh out loud. Ace shushed him, holding his head gingerly. The man apologized, but kept grinning. His tone, however, lowered. Thatch was famous for his shenanigans. He was infamous for that time he had sabotaged the whole kitchen. Everyone had ended up with extremely hot chili in their food. The faces had been priceless. Ace had also heard that one story about when Thatch had first arrived on the crew. The lad had ended up stranding them in the Calm Belt white helping out with the navigation. From there on a series of mischief had started. And no one escaped Thatch.

"Yeah, we drank Pop's sake. I feel like I've been fired out of a cannon." Kondor gave Ace another smile. The older man was snickering.

"I'll mix something up for your head."

"Thanks." A comfortable silence ensued as Ace watched his food get ready. He liked hearing the sizzling of the fresh vegetables on the hot oil. The smell of the delicious food spread soon, the grilled garlic making Ace's mouth water. He couldn't wait to get something in his stomach.

"A-aaah~ We are almost out of pepper. I hope there's an island nearby." Kondor sighed while arranging food.

"I was assigned to navigation last week, I don't think we'll be docking in a while. Maybe two weeks." Ace informed the older pirate. Kondor sighed again, passing the raven some of his food.

"Maybe I'll ask Commander Marco or Commander Thatch to send some faster boats to get supplies." Kondor went back to preparing the rest of the food. "Pepper isn't the only thing we're low on. The problem is, that Commander Marco doesn't understand just how important pepper is. It is like the-" And that is where Ace tuned out. Sure, he liked the man enough, but when Kondor started talking about cooking supplies, he was unbearable. Ace preferred just to let him ramble and nod along.

"A-aaah~ Have you heard anything new about Vista's group, Ace, my boy?" The cook questioned. Vista had gone with a small group of his division members to calm some rampaging pirates near an island protected by Whitebeard. So far, they haven't reported any disturbances that Ace knew of. Then again, Ace was a new member, he was still under a mentor of sorts. Leo was a terrible mentor, but he was a good friend. The young man was a bit older than Ace, a member of the crew for two years already, and he had volunteered to show Ace the ropes after witnessing the raven's determination. Ace was willing to bet that Leo had had a pool going on how many attempts of Whitebeard's head would the former Captain have. Then again, that could've been Thatch, too. All Ace knew is that Marco had won a whole load of money. The flaming chicken had been smug for days.

"Sorry, Kondor. I don't know anything new. Ask one of Izo's. He was on communications last I checked." Ace had remembered all the Commanders just fine. He had known them even before attacking their captain. It was the constant changing of their duties that confused the lad. The Commanders had a deal of some sort. They would suddenly change their duties, just randomly swap them. When he had asked Thatch about it, the pompadour had told him how they liked to mix things up, and that Ace shouldn't worry his pretty, little head about it. That of course, caused the young pirate to argue back, the only word registering in his mind was the little part. And then it ended in a brawl, which Marco broke up. Flamingly broke up. It had been awesome.

Ace felt his focus slipping, the meat he had snatched from one of the already ready plates going down his throat just in time. The next thing that happened was completely expected of Ace by now. His head hit the tabletop, body slouching slightly forward. Kondor laughed and continued cooking, leaving the youth to his narcoleptic habits.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace tuned back into the world, like he hadn't been asleep. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in the same place as before. He was settled at a table, in his usual favorite spot, near the windows. There was a pile of food in front of him, too. Without asking questions the youth dug in.

"Awake, I see?" A voice came from Ace's left. He turned slightly to give Leo a nod and continued shoveling food into his mouth. The other pirate sat calmly, sipping a drink occasionally. He knew by now that one didn't separate Ace from his food.

"Kondor and I moved you here." Leo informed his charge. "More people were coming to eat, and you were kind of blocking the path." Truly, now that Ace was paying attention, more people were in the cafeteria than before. The raven felt his head pulse once again in protest of the noise. Leo saw him pause in his breakfast, if it could be called that, and passed him a glass of red, evil looking drink. Ace looked at his mentor, raising an eyebrow. He was not drinking that. Not even if it were a dare.

"Kondor said this would help." Leo smiled at the reluctant pirate. "Honest, it does. I've drank it several times." Ace inspected the liquid once again. He almost expected it to bubble and steam on its own. Leo pushed the glass closer to him and Ace caught it. He slowly tipped the thing, smelling it. Damn, it smelled as foul as it looked. It was evil. Straight from hell. He wasn't drinking that. Suddenly someone pinched his nose shut and the glass made contact with his lips, the liquid going down his throat. Ace managed to fight off his 'helper' after he got over the shock of drinking the so called medicine. Thatch was laughing, almost in tears, at the expressions and colors that passed the raven's face. He took a seat on Ace's other side, gulping the rest of the evil drink himself. Leo pushed his own drink to Ace now, the raven recovering a bit after washing down the red goo with sweet tea.

"Damn it, Thatch!" Were the first words that left Ace's mouth. The pompadour grabbed some food from the raven's many plates and ran away laughing. Ace yelled profanities after him, only causing the laughter to spread in the cafeteria.

"Whatever you do, don't ask what's in that drink." Leo told him once he calmed down. "Trust me." The youth assured him, eyes serious. Ace grunted and continued eating. The food was one thing that was good here. It wasn't the usual barely edible cafeteria food. The chefs made it at the spot, and there was a fixed group of them. For example Kondor, he had been permanently assigned to the kitchen. Ace still hadn't asked why. He had heard that Thatch had some skills in the kitchen, but still hadn't gotten the chance to try his cooking. It was strange, Ace hadn't been trying to be friendly at all. In fact, he had been very unpleasant and guarded, making attempts on the Whitebeard's head, too. Yet, he had gained friends already.

Like Leo. Leo was definitely his friend, Ace summarized. The man often reminded the raven of how Sabo might have turned out. It wasn't only the hair color. But Leo had that noble air around him. For the love of Calypso, he drank tea in the morning.

But, all in all, his mentor was cool. A little taller than Ace, and much more slender, almost like a scarecrow, which the raven had called him in the beginning. Leo had blonde hair, wavy after taking a dip in the ocean to pull his Logia friend out. He had left a long ponytail, as a sign of rebellion, Ace figured, at the nape of his neck, that went almost to the middle of the pirate's back. Whenever Ace saw the piece, he would imagine Leo's hair at that length and laugh like a maniac. Sometimes he even added Commander Izo's makeup to his mental image.

Commander Izo. Man that was a topic. Ace wasn't too sure if the guy was ok, or completely bonkers. One thing is for sure, Ace had never gotten set up with a man before Izo did it. The Commander was apparently a romantic, and a mischievous devil at heart, and he didn't really bother with genders. Talking to someone in Izo's presence was basically the same as professing your undying love for them. It was fun to watch the matchmaking, but not to be a part of the Commander's game.

"You done?" Leo asked, bringing Ace back to the real world. The latter looked to his plates. He had been eating on autopilot.

"Let's go." Ace stood, trying to carry all of his plates. Leo took almost half, laughing at the younger pirate. They dropped the dishes off at the kitchen and headed outside.

"Leo! Ace! Wait, you two!" Kondor's voice rang through the window between the kitchen and the cafeteria. The duo returned, to find the old man scribbling something in a hurry.

"Here, take this to Commander Marco." He shoved the piece of paper at them, Leo catching it. Ace leant over to see a list of ingredients along with quantity. The old cook was precise. "And this, too." And then a tray with food was pushed towards them. Ace picked it up easily, reassuring the cook that they will do it.

"The poor boy will make himself sick. He works too much, and all the time, too." Kondor kept complaining as Leo and Ace left the cafeteria, heading for the Commander's quarters.

Being a Commander had its perks. For starters, your own room. Then, a tub. Ace had seen it when he first arrived. He had been placed in the rooms of the Second division Commander. The room hadn't been designed or anything, because of the absence of its owner. It still had what the others did, though. A comfortable bed, a nice tub and windows overlooking the sea.

Leo knocked on Marco's door. After getting a bored sounding 'come in' they entered. The Commander had done well on anterior design, Ace decided. The bed was impressive at least. It had a bloody canopy. Marco was seated at his desk, back to them, writing.

"Marco-san, Kondor from the kitchen sent us." Leo began, catching the Commander's full attention. The flaming bird looked at the food, in what Ace deemed to be happiness. The Commander was really good at not showing his emotions on his face.

"Thank you, yoi." He said, standing. "Won't you take a seat?" Leo and Ace exchanged glances, wondering if they were in trouble. Ace felt his focus slipping once again, but he didn't have time to warn Leo or Marco, he just slouched forward. The two pirates realized what was happening and jumped into action fast enough. Leo caught Ace around the middle, stopping his fall and Marco saved the tray of food. The two looked at the lightly snoring pirate and laughed at the randomness of his narcolepsy.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco closed the door of his room behind himself. The random way that Ace fell asleep was hilarious. The first Commander and Leo had ended up chatting while Marco was eating and Ace was out cold. The Commander had left the young pirates in his room, Leo waiting for the raven to wake up. They had been assigned to lookout this morning. That would keep Thatch away from Ace. When those two came together it never ended well. And Leo with Ace, he was like a safety blanket. The young pirate could do damage control on extreme levels. Marco was impressed.

The first mate headed towards his Captain's quarters. Whitebeard hadn't gone out to the deck yet. Most of the crew was still recovering from the party anyways. They have been sailing for a while and they were getting low on supplies. Marco had already gotten quite a few complaints from the other Commanders. One of the pirates passing him in the hall threw him a 'good morning' and the first mate returned it. He truly loved this crew.

The new additions weren't bad either. Marco had to admit that he had been skeptic at first. Fire Fist had seemed like a rookie going wild. Untamable and completely insane. One of _those_ pirates. But, since Pops insisted, they had met the Spade Pirates. Marco had realized after a while that under that hotheaded, stubborn exterior that Ace liked to put on, under all that arrogance was a rather sweet and sensitive boy. He was ridiculously loyal for starters. Not to mention he felt so much and faced those feelings head on, without showing his burden on the outside. But there was also a side that worried Marco a bit. Ace had a rather dark part of him. Some kind of self-hatred or something. The Commander still hadn't figured it all out, but he knew that there was something. It bothered him.

On the other hand, the lad had proven himself to be a good sport. Thatch was already very fond of him. The pompadour had spoken in Ace's favor more than once to the Commanders. By now, Marco had to agree with Pops and Thatch. Ace was a good addition to the crew and so were his pirates. The first mate knocked on Whitebeard's door.

"Enter." The Captain grumbled from inside. It didn't sound like he was in a good mood. The doc had probably lectured him about alcohol intake once again. That woman was fearless. The Commander went into the Captain's quarters, closing the door behind him. The room wasn't too big. It was about the same size as Marco's. Their Captain didn't believe in distancing himself from his children in that way. True, he had quite a bit of fancy furniture in there, but those were mostly given to the old man by his sons as gifts.

"Pops, I've made a list, yoi." Marco cut to the chase. Neither of them had time to waste. "There are supplies needed in the kitchen and in the armory. Also, the doc supplied her own list of medicine that we are low on. It isn't too long, but it is rather urgent."

"We will be docking by the end of next week. Will we hold out?" The captain asked, reading over the necessary items.

"Some of the things are urgent. Especially the medicine." The Commander said, seating himself on the end of his leader's bed.

"I see." The captain nodded. "Get me my Den Den Mushi."

~~~~pb~~~~

The girl carefully switched her grip on the hot metal handles. She had been flying for hours and her glider had gotten unbearably warm. Her stomach protested the long flight and the teenager caved. She moved her body, feeling her joints pop at the movement. The shift of the weight caused her glider to gently lower itself downwards, leaving the strong wind current it had been using for a while.

Her glider wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, it was one of the more comfortable open top ones. Not only did it allow a variety of positions, but it also could carry quite a bit, even if it was considered to be one of the smaller machines by the United Flyers Organization, more commonly known as UFO. The glider had been built out of scraps and some of the parts she had bought herself or been given out of charity. It was a unique machine, of her design, accommodating all her needs. The wings were rather wide, a little over three meters each, giving room for a rather small body of the glider, which had an impressive storage space for its size. The glider had two high handles on top that stretched all the way to the bottom of the machine, allowing her to fly on both sides. She had recently put a leather strap in the middle of those on top, so that she could lie down while flying or sit when resting. The glider used natural energy to propel itself, utilizing the impressive technology from the sky islands to collect reserves for the next takeoff while flying at great speeds. In the end, the machine had been painted like a bird, in bright colors, with many trinkets, bells, feathers and loose materials hanging from it. She liked to call it the Sparrow.

The hot metal sizzled as it touched the warm ocean surface. The pilot smiled, welcoming the stray drops that landed on her hot visor and pilot suit. She had started wearing the proper suit a few years back. At first, she had considered the bulky protective gear ridiculous and refused to use it, but after one too many sunburns and colds from the upper cool currents, she had changed her mind. It was a full-body suit, that shielded her from the cold and the sun rays. However, it didn't have a self-regulating heating system. In other words, in was like a portable sauna. So the teen still preferred to go suit-less on shorter flights.

The glider stopped finally, now just gently rolling with the waves. Time for a short break. The girl got up from her lying position on the machine, taking of her flying glasses and suit. A bikini top and shorts underneath the suit were the best after all. She liked the half of the long skirt she had tied on her left side, too. It really didn't do much, but it looked cool to her. Besides, it accented her many belts, pouches and keys better. She released her long chocolate colored hair from the cap of the suit and let it flow in the breeze. The air was heavy with salt, but not unpleasant. She took out a sandwich from one of the heat-regulating pouches attached to her belt. The teen sat on the cooling metal of her glider, enjoying her quick lunch and the peace of the ocean.

Purupurupuru!

Kacha!

"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" The girl answered her Den Den Mushi automatically, with the already well practiced phrase.

"Brat, where are you?" Whitebeard's booming voice sounded from the blue snail, making it jump funnily. The teen smiled.

"Currently I am very near the Sabaody Archipelago, heading into the New World. Would you like to place an order?"

"Yes." There was a slight commotion on the other end of the line.

"Ran, can you hear me, yoi?" The voice of the First Commander sounded.

"Receiving loud and clear." She replied.

"Take a pen and paper, it's a list, yoi."

"Please wait a moment." She told the Commander, hitting a button on her Den Den Mushi. For the next few minutes, Marco listened to a cheery radio song while she rummaged through her storage for the supplies.

"I'm ready to take down your order." And the Commander listed all the necessary things and quantities, especially the pepper. He could almost imagine Kondor's delighted face upon hearing about the package on the way.

"And where would you like this delivered?" The girl, Ran, asked once the list was complete.

"The Moby Dick. You can check in on our course after you have all the supplies, yoi." The commander told her. "And when you deliver we will estimate the price."

"Thank you for calling!" Ran ended the call, a smile on her face. Finally a job! The list wasn't too long, and she knew where to get all of these things. Also, Whitebeard was a great customer, he always paid the proper price, often giving her a generous tip, too. And, he often invited her to stay on his ship for the amazing parties and the free booze. She never could say no to the free booze. Or to all of the awesome, half naked, drunk, handsome, strong pirates. Those got to her every time.

Plucking off some of the leftover bread from her sandwich, Ran threw it to the fish that had gathered around her glider, curious at the intrusion. She shoved the remaining food in her mouth and gulped down some water from her glider storage. She was running low on water. Well, there was an island nearby, she could restock there. She looked at her Log Pose, which was on the tip of her glider, making a decision. The girl jumped into the ocean, joining the now startled fish. For a few minutes she swam with the small school, cooling herself down. Then she pushed herself back onto her glider and shoved the protective suit into the storage. She wouldn't need it for this short trip. Ran tied her long hair in a bun, putting her signature chopsticks in it, bells on the ends gently tinkling. She adjusted her pilot goggles back onto her face and prepared for take-off. And with a splash of salty droplets, the Migratory Bird headed upwards.

**That's all folks! **


	2. Break the Fall

**Hello my dear readers! Welcome and enjoy!**

**I saw some views, I am hoping for a bit of feedback. Tell me your thoughts guys :D **

**A bit of info about my inspiration for Ranmao: Ghibli Studio (Nausicaa and Kiki of course) **

**Chapter 2: Break the fall (Applebottom remix) – Laura Welsh**

Ace and Leo sat in one of the crow's nests of the Moby Dick. The blonde was looking out to the ocean, watching out for ships. The raven, on the other hand, was looking over a notebook of sorts. It contained many variations of the Whitebeard Pirates flag.

"I still think that the original one is the best." Ace huffed, dropping the designs.

"It's your decision, Ace." Leo told him, lowering his binoculars. The blonde picked up the discarded notebook, looking over the designs. "Mine's not among these."

"Really?" Ace perked up.

"Yes." Leo took off his long coat, the sleeveless shirt underneath showing the tattoo on his shoulder. It was a black design with purple details. It was more similar to the one Marco had than the one on the flag. However, the characteristic eyes were much more prominent than the mustache, making the symbol unique.

"Woah. That's amazing." Ace was inspecting the tattoo up close. Leo smiled. The raven didn't have any personal space. That didn't even exist in the young pirate's dictionary. Leo was still getting used to it.

"I agree. I got it on Sabaody actually. There's this guy that does quite impressive tattoos." Leo folded his cloak and left it on the bottom of the nest. It was too hot to be wearing it all the way up here. "Have you decided where you want yours?"

Ace shook his head, grinning.

"What about its size?"

Another shake of the raven's head.

"I see." Leo chuckled and then it evolved into a full laugh. Ace joined in, too.

"What are you two laughing so merrily about?" Thatch jumped into the crow's nest with a bottle of rum. He took the binoculars from Leo and scouted the horizon quickly. "At least you're doing your job." Thatch sat down, sighing.

"We were just discussing body art, Thatch." Leo answered. "What's got you on edge at this hour?" Ace took the bottle from the Commander, sipping the strong alcohol.

"Let's just say that you are very lucky that you aren't a Commander and leave it at that, ok lion?"

Leo laughed at the pompadour, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine!"

"I say you need a woman." Ace supplied between gulps of alcohol. Thatch gave him a glare and Leo seemed amused. Someone was finally teasing the mischievous Commander.

"And I say you need to return the booze to me." Thatch grumbled and took back his bottle. Ace crossed his arms and shared a smug look with Leo.

"Are you two tag teaming me?"

Silence.

"Oh, I'm so touched! My little boys are growing up! Practicing my techniques!" Thatch wiped an imaginary tear away. The trio started laughing again.

"Oh, right, pay attention to the skies, too." Thatch informed them. "The Sparrow should be coming soon with supplies." The Commander took yet another swig from the bottle.

"Really?" Leo seemed excited for some reason. Ace didn't know who this Sparrow was, and personally, he didn't care. He figured that if it was important, he would learn. Thatch seemed to have a good opinion about this Sparrow guy, and so did Leo, that was enough for Ace. He had learned that his two new friends were good at judging someone's character. They had already gotten used to Ace's mood swings and didn't take his sudden bursts of anger or irritation personally. It was relaxing, having someone to talk to and not having to filter everything and watch what you say. Ace felt strangely accepted.

"Yeah, Marco got a call today to confirm our location." Ace tuned back into the conversation.

"Leo!" Someone called from the deck. The blonde bent over the edge of the crow's nest, investigating. He turned to Ace next. "Are you going to be alright up here till the end of the shift? I am needed elsewhere apparently." The young pirate looked apologetic and a bit guilty, even though he was already picking up his coat.

"Don't worry about it. I'm good here. Even better if Thatch leaves the booze with me." Ace smirked.

"Cheeky." Thatch commented. He drank some more rum, standing up. Leo was already halfway down the ladder when Thatch gave Ace the bottle. "Don't get drunk and go to sleep, now." The pompadour warned. "I'll come back later, but I should get back to my duties for now." Ace mock saluted the Commander as he climbed down, too.

This left the raven alone in the crow's nest. He settled himself more comfortably on the railing and took another swig from the bottle. This was some good rum. He turned it around, reading the label. He didn't know the brand, but he was going to remember it. Ace scouted the horizon with his eyes. Nothing. He paid attention to the skies, too. Clear. Then he relaxed. He liked high places. He could people watch from there. As old man-like as that sounded, Ace liked to do it from time to time. He found himself learning a lot about the new crew while people watching.

He had also decided that the Whitebeard pirates were what he had been looking for. They were family. Not by blood, but by affiliation. They belonged. Weak, strong, small, tall, cursed, old, young, it didn't matter. They were all accepted as Whitebeard's children. They were all children of the sea. And Ace, he could respect that. He wasn't ready to open up to them completely yet, but he could accept them. He could fight for them. He saw, now, what his crew had seen earlier.

When he had first arrived, the raven was so angry. At himself, at his crew, at Jinbei, at Whitebeard, at Roger. He was so angry. He kept trying to kill the Captain in his rage, hoping to redeem himself somehow. Be better than his old man. But, the more time passed, the calmer he became. At first, he hadn't wanted to get close to anyone. Even after joining the crew, it was solely for information at first. But, Leo got in the way. Or more like, under his skin.

Leo was too similar to Sabo sometimes. He wasn't a noble, though. He was just used to acting like one. All proper, with his tea and coat. But in the end Leo was an outcast. Ace still didn't know how, but he could feel it. See it in the pirate's eyes. The young man looked so alone sometimes. Thatch had told Ace in a drunken ramble that Leo wasn't even the pirate's real name. The raven wasn't sure when, but at some point he had started referring to the blonde as his friend.

He raised the binoculars once again, scouting. There was a blurry, dark spot on the horizon. Ace focused on it, trying to see something. Was it a ship? Pirate or Marine? He knew that the Whitebeard Pirates weren't bothered by the Navy a lot. That was just an occasional idiotic Captain or Lieutenant looking for a raise. Sometimes pirates attacked the ship. Or bounty hunters. Up until now, they haven't been too successful. A couple of burns, broken arms, maybe an unlucky broken leg and a ton of scratches. Other than that, the pirates were unharmed. The shape on the horizon finally became clearer. It was a ship with a black flag that Ace didn't recognize.

"Pirate ship on the horizon!" The raven yelled towards the deck, catching the crew's attention. There were preparations done below him then. Cannons were moved and pulled to their proper places. Cannonballs and gunpowder were carried across and below the deck. People were shuffling about, getting ready for a brawl.

"Let me see, yoi." The First Commander was suddenly behind Ace, hovering over his shoulder. Ace passed him the binoculars. Marco was silent for a moment.

"Go down. I'll stay here." And the young pirate obeyed, making a note to ask Thatch about Marco's strange behavior later.

~~~~pb~~~~

The Sparrow trembled under the force of the air current that Ran had caught earlier. The New World always had insane weather. And the air currents were unpredictable and difficult to fly on. The first few times Ran had flown the new skies she had almost crashed and had had to stop for repairs at least five times in two hours. It had been hell. Now, she was mostly used to it. She could read the slight changes in the temperature and the force of the current and adjust.

She had left the Sabaody Archipelago two days ago. She had managed to buy or haggle most of the items from Whitebeard's list. She had to make one more stop on her way to his vessel and the delivery would be perfect.

The wind changed once again, making the girl leave the current. The Sparrow slid through the air effortlessly, carrying the cargo and its rider without problems. Ran had calculated just how much the glider could carry. She could see the next island. She adjusted her suit and decided to switch positions on her glider. Finding purchase for her feet, she stood, bent at the knees, hands holding onto the bars on top of the glider tightly. The cold air hit her. She was entering the atmosphere of the island. It was a winter one. The gray and silver snow clouds were icy as she went through them. Luckily, her suit was warm on the inside, keeping the frost only on the outer part. She could see little droplets freezing on her goggles. The Sparrow flew left and right, circling, slowing down gently.

She could see the city clearly now. Thousands of little houses, built up and down on hills of snow, all in pale colors. There were little yellow and little black blobs down there. Lights and people. She threw a look at the horizon quickly, and noticed the sun still up. Ran adjusted her weight and the Sparrow made another gentle circle, one wing lower than the other, spiraling down. The pilot could hear happy yells 'It's the Sparrow' below her. She felt a grin make its way onto her face. She hadn't been here in a long time. Maybe five months? She liked to restock here. Finally, Ran leveled out her glider, pressing a small metal paddle with her foot. That caused a small burst of air on the bottom of her flyer and the metal bars on the bottom entered the snow, burying themselves in it. The Migratory Bird was soon swarmed with curious children.

"Welcome back, Ranmao." A raspy voice greeted the young pilot.

"It's good to be back, Elder Pinjao." The girl smiled at the short old man. He had been the leader of the village for as long as Ran had been coming there. The old man was small, almost mistaken for a child in his many furs and coats. His face reminded Ran of a bulldog. Pinjao was missing some of his teeth. He liked to tell the children how he had lost them during his many hunting expeditions. There was also a large scar going down his arm and leg. The elder would often tell that story. About a huge bear that he had fought. Ran smiled thinking about it. She already knew it by heart.

"How long will you be staying this time?" The old man asked her, shaking snow of his staff with irritation.

"I'm just gathering some supplies now. I'm on a job." The children around Ran whined and groaned in protest. They liked the pilot. When there wasn't a storm she would take them up in her glider, one by one. It was quite an experience for the little brats. "Maybe I'll be back by the end of the month to stay for a while? But I must leave before the storm season, of course." Cheers sounded all around the girl and her mechanical bird.

"That sounds like a promise to me. Come, I'll give you a nice cup of hot cocoa to warm you up and then we'll see what you need for your delivery." The elder motioned for Ran to follow him. "I also have a job for you. Nothing urgent, though." Ran followed Pinjao, tossing a warning look at the kids over her shoulder. The little spawns were already climbing all over her glider, oblivious. She laughed lightly, giving up. They knew what was safe to play with by now.

Ran looked up as she walked, seeing the clouds around the island blocking the sun. It was mid-day, but here, it seemed as if it were dusk. The snow clouds that Ran has passed through on her way to the island gave the bright sun rays a gray hue. The elder led the teen pilot into his house. It was warm inside. The fire was burning, its yellow light both soothing and warm. Ran unzipped her suit and removed her head gear. She tied the sleeves of her bulky suit around her waist, letting it hang. The girl fixed her messy bun and put her chopsticks in it. She always felt naked without them. Her goggles dug into her forehead and she adjusted them better.

"Here you go, lassie." The elder gave Ran a steaming mug and sat down in his chair. "Make yourself at home." He told her.

"I always do." Ran replied, seating herself on one of the comfortable chairs. They were covered in soft bear fur. Heaven, she thought, sipping the warm chocolate drink.

"Why don't you tell me about the items you need now?" Then the old man's eyes twinkled in excitement. "Also, a two or three stories about your adventures wouldn't hurt? Have you finally found yourself a lad? Eh?" Ran laughed at this. The old man was incorrigible.

"Well, I did have a rather interesting time on the Grand Line during the past months. I suppose a story or two is in order?" The pilot evaded the question quite skillfully and launched into a retelling of her adventure with the Marines, pirates and Sea Kings, successfully taking the old man's mind of off her status as a single woman.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace ended up with Thatch during the pirate brawl. The duo was fighting back to back on the enemy ship without many problems. Ace saw Leo send someone overboard with a rather impressive right hook, but the blonde had vanished in the mass of yelling pirates seconds later. The raven didn't really see anything good in all out brawls. There was no honor or honesty. It mostly consisted of punching everything that came your way. Ace had to be especially careful about where he fired off his Hiken. He had evaded Thatches sword a couple of times, too. The bloody thing was laced with kairoseki. The damned Commander should be more careful where he swings it.

Marco flew above them, sending shooters from the crow's nest and mast down. Ace evaded a flailing body with little grace, but he managed to catch himself. Thatch was used to Marco's lazy style of fighting by now. The first mate wasn't serious unless the enemy was strong. He preferred to just fly about and help out the brawling brothers. For Ace, the occasional body falling towards him was a big distraction. And no matter how much he enjoyed seeing Marco's Devil Fruit in action, he didn't like fighting near the Commander. The raven was used to going alone into battle, with maybe some back-up. He wasn't used to being the back-up himself, like the Whitebeard Pirates considered him.

"Ace, what the heck!?" Thatch stopped a sword that was heading towards the young pirate's face. "Stop spacing out!" The pompadour scolded and pushed the enemy pirate away and overboard.

"Sorry, thanks!" Ace yelled back and fired off a well-aimed Hiken.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran stored her chopsticks back in their pouch at her hip and suited up. She thanked the Elder for his time and left the old man's house. Pinjao followed her to the door and waved when she left to the market.

"That's a fine woman right there." The old man told the teen that was chopping wood in front of his house.

"I know, Gramps. But she ain't interested in me." The teen retorted and continued his work. The old man shook his head and went back inside. "She's in love with the skies." The young man murmured into his chin.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran hurried with her shopping. She traded some of the things she had gotten on Sabaody for some of the supplies she needed for her flight. The oil here was great for the gears of her glider. She bought the rest of the things that Whitebeard ordered and carried the boxes and bags to her glider. The children were still playing around and on top of the Sparrow. Ran put most of her stuff down and headed to open the storage space. She rearranged the stuff that was already inside to accommodate the new items. Just as she was about to go get the supplies tiny hands gave her one of the boxes. The children had stopped playing and were helping the young pilot.

"Why thank you!" She exclaimed happily storing the incoming boxes and bags into the glider. "Thank you very much for your help!" Ran told the group that was looking at her with smiles on their little faces.

"No problem, Ran!" The children chorused. They had clearly practiced that.

"Well, it would be mean of me not to get you guys a reward, right?" The pilot pretended to ponder, putting a finger on her lip.

"Yes!" The kids answered.

"Ok then." Ran rummaged through the storage of the glider and pulled out a colorful bag from the bottom. "Now then, these are mizu-candy from the great city Water 7. You each get one, ok?" The kids came up to her, each pulling out a colorful, gel-like treat from the bag. "I'll see you soon then guys." She told them, putting the candy back and slamming the storage door shut. "Clear for takeoff!" Ran yelled, pulling her goggles down. The kids ran away, giving the pilot room to gain momentum. The teen stepped on the hidden paddle, letting the burst of air send Sparrow upwards. She waved at the residents of the small village as she flew up and into the snow clouds. Ran saw Elder Pinjao and his grandson waving from their house. She allowed a small smile to stretch on her lips as she passed the cold and wet clouds. Soon the temperature evened out and the Sparrow caught an air current, its goal the Moby Dick.

~~~~pb~~~~

To say that Ace was surprised by how fast the Whitebeard Pirates got back to their routine was an understatement. Of course, he had seen the same thing happen before, but he was still trying to get used to the relaxed air that suddenly fell over the ship, as if the slowly sinking enemy vessel didn't even exist. The Moby Dick continued its journey, as if proud of the new win. Ace and Thatch, however, were shooed to the lower level of the ship by Marco. They had their punishment to finish, after all.

In the first two days of cleaning the lowest floor Ace realized why this chore was dreaded. The first thing was the sheer size of the room. It stretched almost along the whole length of the ship, making the space huge. The second was the usage. There was none. Simply, if you wanted something to vanish you would throw it somewhere in the lowest level. And of course, since they were aboard a ship, the room was full of spiders. Ace didn't mind spiders, but he wasn't sure how to deal with this quantity of them. Or their species. He was pretty sure that they had seen a couple of poisonous ones. The buggers were fast and Ace already had set one too many things on fire during their cleaning.

Thatch threw the sulking pirate his two fairly new friends, the mop and the bucket and took a broom himself. "C'mon Ace. There isn't that much left." The raven gave him a disbelieving look. "Ok, there's a lot left, but we have to keep going. You don't want to be stuck helping Marco with his paperwork. Trust me, this is better." Ace couldn't really see how.

The young pirate went to the supply closet and filled his bucket with soapy water. This was going to be another slow afternoon. The raven then followed the path that Thatch had made, very bravely, in the room and started collecting the ages of fine dust onto his mop. He hated how the stuff rolled into small balls of gray filth when wet. But, no matter how terrible the job, Ace knew how to use his time wisely. On this occasion at least.

"Hey Thatch, who's the Sparrow?" He heard Thatch curse from somewhere in the dark room. He couldn't see the Commander in the light of his lantern. Thatch had his own, so he should be fine. It's just that stacks of boxes and unused stuff were in between the two, so they couldn't see each other. Other than that, they weren't more than ten meters apart.

"It's a delivery service." The pompadour finally replied. "Not a lot of people use it, but it's very handy. Not a lot of ships are equipped for long travels, and even those that are sometimes need some extra supplies, so then they call the Sparrow. The delivery is by air, so it's much faster than going from island to island and the fee isn't too bad. Not for us anyways. Pops finds the whole thing convenient."

"Wow. I had no idea that even existed." Ace swirled his mop in the already dark water of the bucket. Thatch grunted, moving something.

"Yeah, it's not very famous. It's a one-man service. Ran wouldn't be able to go and deliver all the stuff if it was well known." Another grunt. "Hey, come help me out here."

Ace left his mop and bucket, and took his lantern, looking for the Commander. The raven navigated through the various things that were forgotten in the room and finally found Thatch struggling with a large wardrobe. Ace quickly took the other side and they managed to push it to the side, freeing a path. Thatch brushed sweat off his brow.

"Damn that old thing. I tried to get Izo to toss it or sell it, but he wouldn't budge. I figured he caved, but no, it's down here, rotting." Thatch seemed to be on a roll about 'the million things that Izo does that annoy me'. Ace had been a victim to this rant many times now, so he tuned it out and went back to his cleaning spot. Back to work, he figured.

For a few hours the two worked, making small talk occasionally. Neither was really in a mood for a good conversation. This place killed any kind of desire for fun. No wonder it was called the Ninth Circle, referring to the ninth circle of Hell. Ace was just about to change his water again when Thatch decided to call it a day. The teen readily agreed and the exhausted duo left the hellish room.

They had managed to move more of the furniture, creating more space. Now you could actually enter without jumping straight into the mess. Ace and Thatch had also sifted through the stuff and selected the things that couldn't be used, to be thrown away. They also found quite a bit of items that could be traded. Ace suggested that they torment Marco until he allowed them to sell their 'treasure' on the next island. That led to a devious plan forming between the two friends. And everyone knew that Ace and Thatch plotting never ended well. The two split up, each going to their own bath.

~~~~pb~~~~

The sky was red and orange by the time Leo had found Ace. The latter had just finished his snack and was on his way to the deck. Ace liked to snack. The problem was that his light meal wasn't light at all. He had a habit of raiding the fridge during the night. A lot. And since Ace's sleep pattern was messed up because of his narcolepsy, he was awake at strange times. That lead to Kondor buying metal locks from his own budget and putting them on the fridge. He also got a thick iron chain for the supply room. Not that either stopped Ace.

"Clear the deck!" Someone shouted, surprising the two pirates. Leo and Ace shared a confused look. Apparently there was something going on. The crew present on the deck was running around like a surprised flock of seagulls.

"Ace, look!" Leo pointed to the skies and that's when Ace saw it. It looked like a bird, but it wasn't moving its wings. When it came closer, glinting in the sun rays the young pirate saw a rider on top of the flying contraption. It was one of the most magnificent sights. The pilot moved left and right, the weight directing the flying machine gracefully. It made one circle around the ship, slowing down and then leveled out with the bowsprit. It was going to land head on with the giant whale figurehead.

The pilot jumped forward and fell down, suddenly hanging from some kind of bars on the bottom of the machine. Ace saw the legs make contact with the deck of Moby Dick and the pilot started running forward, gradually slowing down. He could see the person slouch under the weight of the flying machine on the back. Some of the present crew, including Marco, ran to catch the machine and stop it. In a few moments, the metal bird was on the planks of Moby Dick, still and the pilot was hugging random pirates, greeting them. Then the pilot took off the protective helmet and Ace felt his brain shut down. He had expected a man. The young pirate registered Leo pulling him towards the forming crowd.

"Ran! Hey! Ran!" The blonde got the newcomer's attention. She flashed a blinding grin in their direction and launched at Leo. However, all that Ace saw was her hair. It had spilled from the protective suit and now it was following her like a chocolate cape.

"This is Ace, he's new." Ace's mentor introduced them. "This is Ranmao, pilot of the Sparrow." Leo was looking at Ace now. The girl gave a small wave.

"Ugh, yeah, errr... You have pretty hair." Ace obviously left his filter somewhere in the shutdown part of his brain. Maybe the whole traveling with brothers was getting to him. He could feel himself giving off heat from the face and ears area and this time it wasn't his Devil Fruit's fault. The girl pilot, however, didn't miss a beat.

"Thanks, I like your shirt." She retorted, causing Ace to look down to check which shirt he had on. He didn't have one. He must've forgotten it when he left for the cafeteria. Food usually made him forgetful. Wait, what?! He looked up only to see Ranmao gone. Leo was giving him a rather sly look.

"She said that she would 'catch us later'. Not that you heard." The blonde told his friend through chuckles. "Let's go, lover boy. There's going to be a party tonight. We need to bring the booze out." Ace stood there for a second, his brain still frozen. Then he recovered and ran after Leo. He would learn everything his friend knew about Ran.

**That's all for now folks! **

**I would like to address these issues immediately: **

**No, Ace is not in love with Ran at first sight. He just expected a man to come out of the suit, not a pretty girl his age. **

**No, Ran is not exceptionally beautiful, she is average. However, after a while with the same people you get very used to seeing their faces and you welcome a new one. Especially if you are a guy seeing a girl after travelling with men for a while. **

**No, Ran is not a very bold and confident woman. She is quite shy and embarrassed, but the whole 'seeing people after a long time of flying alone' makes her giddy. In other words, she puts up a brave front. **


	3. Cuba 2012

**Hello ladies and gentlemen! **

**Thank you for the follow K.C.96 and follow and fav Leontodon!**

**Otaku-chan, as my first reviewer, you have received your own chapter! This one is for you love :D **

**Chapter 3: Cuba 2012 - Cem Taşçinten Dance Edit**

The party was in full swing with no signs of stopping. The Whitebeard Pirates had a variety of members and they each had, or didn't, a talent or two. This meant that the musicians were playing their instruments, drunken pirates were singing and there were quite a few people dancing. Whitebeard was perched in his usual chair, watching over his sons lovingly. The old pirate was laughing merrily and drinking his favorite sake. His appointed nurses had already given up on taking his drink away. Tonight life was good and tonight he would celebrate. Being a pirate you never knew what tomorrow would bring and Edward Newgate was used to seizing the moment.

The Migratory Bird had landed late in the afternoon on the Moby Dick. That girl, with her glider, had been a true blessing for the old pirate. He often needed a message or a package delivered as fast as possible. Marco was usually the one he sent. However, when the first mate left the ship, Whitebeard saw just how much work the seemingly bored man actually did. Which was a lot. His blonde son was an excellent multitasker, he kept an eye on both his division and the Commanders. This meant that Marco was always the go-to person. For everything. So, when the first mate left the ship, Whitebeard became that person. And the old pirate wasn't as patient as his son. In fact, he had a rather short fuse. He simply didn't understand how someone couldn't figure out where to put bananas. Or eggs. Or spare sheets. So all in all, the Migratory Bird was a heaven-sent. And she was a nice brat. Cheeky, but nice. She had respect and honor. Whitebeard liked that.

Ran ended up sitting with Izo and Thatch, listening to the two Commanders tell her stories about their travels. And of course bicker with each other. Out of all the Whitebeard Pirates she was probably the closest to Izo. They somehow clicked. Not that either could explain it. They were so different. Izo was all about style, makeup and scheming. He loved matchmaking, romance and guns. And he thought that those went perfectly together. Ran, on the other hand, had a weird sense of fashion, didn't wear makeup and wasn't very good at scheming. She was rather hotheaded but cowardly. She preferred to stay away from conflict. Romance was another mystery to her. Love in that sense was an alien word. She had crushes and casual hookups, but never a full-on relationship. She was a loner. True, she often thought about being with someone, full blown romance and all that. But, she only thought about it. Izo had told her that she was afraid of intimacy. Emotional intimacy. Ridiculous, she would retort. But still, Ran found the pink loving man fascinating, and the Commander liked the cheery teenage girl, even though he thought she needed a makeover. Thus, they spent most of her time on Moby Dick together. Usually, she ended up sleeping somewhere in his Commander quarters after a long night of drinking and giggling. Tonight, Thatch had glued himself to them, though. Not like Ran minded. Izo probably didn't either.

Ran was pulled up to dance many times by different pirates. Having a woman that wasn't a part of their crew on the ship was always a competition to the brothers. The pilot was used to it by now. That didn't stop her from having fun. She jumped around, danced and laughed with everyone that pulled her up. After a particularly long dance, Ran decided to take a break. She found Thatch and Izo gone from their space. She didn't worry about the two. She had learned not to worry about them. The ship was a safe place and they were strong. Insanely strong, even while drunk. Ran walked around, enjoying the sounds and energy of the celebration. She liked the sea. She didn't know how she had lived without it. She loved hearing the sound of the waves in the background and the soft lull of the ship on the calm water. The pilot grabbed a random bottle of booze and headed towards Leo's unmistakable messy blonde hair.

"Hello boys." She greeted, plopping next to the pirate and his charge. The two nodded at her. Leo seemed rather smashed already. The dark haired pirate looked to be on his way there, but still rather sober. He was also wearing a shirt now. A yellow one. Ran took a long swig from her new bottle. Too bad, shirtless looked good on him.

"Ran!" Leo's arm circled her shoulders and he pulled her close. She had forgotten that he was a hugger.

"Leo, my dear, you are going to kill me if you keep squeezing." The pirate slowly let her go, pout on his face. She giggled.

"Drinking makes him regress." The raven across from Ran remarked. She pressed herself comfortably against the blonde's side. He perked up instantly.

"I forgot." Ran winked at the raven pirate, as if that was a secret between them. Leo seemed oblivious to their conversation anyways. He was humming along with the song. Except he was humming the wrong song.

"How long have you been on the ship, errr-" Smalltalk never was Ran's forte.

"Ace." The pirate supplied. He didn't seem offended that she hadn't remembered his name. "A couple of months. I joined recently." Ran noted how he said that. He wasn't too keen on the subject.

"How do you like it so far? The crew gotten to you yet? Thatch has a warped sense of humor." She trailed off, remembering all the practical jokes she had been the victim of. Ace drank more from his bottle. He sat there for a moment, thinking. His thought process was slow when he drank. That's probably why he was so honest when he was under the influence.

"I like it." The raven finally spoke. "I didn't at first, but now I do. It's a big family. I like it." Ace figured that he probably wasn't making sense, but to him it seemed just fine. Somehow when he said it, it wasn't the way it had sounded in his head. Ran nodded, so he figured she understood. Or pretended to anyways. Ace felt the bottle slip from his hand and he blacked out. The last thing he saw was Ranmao lunging forward, a surprised look on her face.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran sat on the deck of Moby Dick, squished in between two pirates, not that she really minded. Ace had fallen asleep suddenly and Leo was still humming and occasionally attempting conversation. Mostly he was humming. She hadn't expected the raven to fall asleep so randomly. She had caught him, and then checked his pulse, made sure he was fine. Then, she had allowed Ace to lean on her in his sleep. The pilot adjusted the raven haired pirate that had ended up on her lap. Her legs had fallen asleep. Leo told her something that she didn't catch and nodded to her, drinking more.

"That's enough, Leo, dear. Why don't you give me some of that rum now?" There was one thing that the blonde was when drunk and that was obedient. He handed over the glass bottle with a charming smile. Ran accepted and swallowed some. The pilot coughed. "No wonder you are smashed! This stuff is strong!" She remarked, but didn't return the bottle.

"You ok there, Ran?" Marco was in front of the group. Leo was attempting to answer the first mate, but all that came from his mouth was a string of not really related words. Marco and Ran exchanged glances, smiles on their faces.

"I'm all good. But as adorable as he is when drunk, he is going to feel this tomorrow. Think you could?" She left the sentence hanging, but the phoenix got it all. He reached for the young pirate, trying to help him up. Leo protested, attempting to push away the man with arms that felt like jelly.

"Leo, yoi, let's get you to bed." Marco frowned, making another attempt to catch the flailing arms.

"Commandeer Marcah, nah, gooood yeeeeh." The young pirate answered, trying to hide behind Ran. She giggled. Even Marco was showing his amusement. Leo was a very interesting drunk. He didn't get wasted often, but when he did, he was a blast to be around.

"Leo, sweetie, why don't you go with Marco now? And I will be here tomorrow when you wake up?" Ran tried to get the blonde to be reasonable.

"Prohmish?" Leo's face appeared from behind Ran's shoulder. He looked at the pilot with glazed over eyes, ignoring personal space. Obviously he was completely smashed. Usually he was all proper about personal space.

"Promise." The girl smiled. However, she didn't expect the next thing that happened. The drunken pirate leaned forward planting a chaste kiss on her lips. She heard Marco laughing in the background. Ran, though, accepted the affection. Not like she was going to get any action anytime soon. Besides, for her a kiss was like a greeting. The blonde pirate pulled away, a goofy grin on his face.

"'Night." Leo told her as the first mate pulled him onto his jelly-like legs. The still chuckling Marco led the younger pirate away. This left Ran with a snoring Ace on her lap. She took another swig from Leo's bottle. She could feel the alcohol kicking in. She could still feel Leo's lips on hers. It really has been a long time. Ran was a loner. Always flying, never in one place. No home, no attachments. She was free. And she was lonely.

But, a woman had her needs, and right now, Ran wanted someone to kiss her senseless. The Whitebeard Pirates understood this perfectly. Actually, most pirates understood her views. They too travelled the seas, not attaching themselves to the ground. She knew that a lot of them stopped at taverns or Red Light Districts in the bigger cities. That was their outlet. Ran, on the other hand, preferred a casual snog at a party. Drink, kiss and don't tell. That was her policy. Most of the people she had been with understood and accepted. She took a couple more gulps of the strong alcohol. The party was slowly dying down and she was nicely buzzed. She caught herself unconsciously playing with Ace's hair.

"How do you like the Whitebeard Pirates?" Ace was awake. Ran looked to her lap, meeting the dark eyes. She took a moment to process the pirate's question. He had just picked up where they had left off. "That feels nice by the way." He informed her, referring to her fingers running absentmindedly through his hair.

"I like them. I like their unspoken rules. Like the old 'honor amongst thieves' thing." She paused for another gulp. "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Ace reached for the bottle. The one Leo hadn't emptied. "Is that the good stuff? The one that Leo was drinking?" Ran nodded and handed it to the pirate. He took an impressively coordinated drink, not spilling any. Ran realized that she was paying attention to this pirate. She noticed his freckles for the first time. The moon was high and bright and there were some lit lanterns on the deck. She could see the tiny dots just fine. They were kind of childish. And cute. Her drunken brain decided that the pirate in her lap was cute and handsome at the same time. His body also gave off an unusual heat. It wasn't unpleasant. In fact, it was rather enjoyable, considering that there was a light breeze and that the air was cooling slowly. The still partially sober part of her brain noticed her drunken observations. This wasn't good, it told her. But the other side screamed party and satisfaction. So when Ace passed her the bottle, she let the amber liquid go down her throat, welcoming the burn.

Ace wasn't as far gone as Ran. True, he had been before falling asleep, but now, he could merely feel the gentle buzz of alcohol in his veins. The stuff that they were passing between them was strong, so he didn't doubt that he would be more than tipsy soon. The soft thighs under his head didn't help either. Nor did the fingers running through his hair. The alcohol made Ran forget her boundaries and insecurities. Ace could feel his face going slightly red, but he took another gulp of the rum regardless. He was lying on an attractive girl's lap, who was he to complain?

Ran accepted the bottle again. She took a drink, but only got half of what she expected. The pilot shook the glass container, as if to confirm its emptiness. She looked down at the pirate, like he had a solution to her current problem. Ace grinned at her, his hand reaching up to the back of her head. He gently pulled her down and Ran followed through. Their lips touched in a messy, drunken kiss.

What Ran felt was fire. Scorching fire burning everything in its path. That's how Ace's kiss was. Even a drunken one, it felt good. Maybe it was the rum talking, she didn't know. However, the pirate didn't seem to mind, so she continued keeping his lips busy. He tasted of rum. Ran pulled back. She wanted more rum. Ace was staring up at her, confused. Had she not liked the kiss?

"Let's go get some more rum." The pilot told him, solving his mental debate. Ace smiled and hopped to his feet. He extended his hand, helping his equally unsteady companion to her feet. They held onto each other, trying to stay standing. Walking was a challenge. The duo giggled as they attempted to go towards the booze in a straight line.

"Careful." Ace caught Ran as she tripped over a sleeping pirate. This caused him to sway, too. The pilot shushed him loudly and then they both laughed. Most of the crew was passed out anyways. They wouldn't mind.

"This way." Ace took Ran's hand, leading her towards his favorite place after they collected a bottle of rum. "I'll give you a boost." The pirate was painfully aware of the young woman's body pressing against his own hot one as he helped her onto the roof of the captain's quarters. Ran struggled for a moment, her coordination off because of the drink. Once safely on top, she offered Ace her hand. The pirate decided to humor her, and accepted. He wasn't expecting her grip on his hand to be strong. He didn't expect her to haul him up, either. They ended up rolling on their back right there, near the edge, giggling like mad. "C'mon. Let's go further down." Ace instructed. He didn't want to risk falling over in the middle of the night. Ran giggled, but complied, rolling further down the leveled roof.

Once they settled down, Ace took a drink from the rum bottle. He passed it to Ran next and she followed the example. They lay there in comfortable silence, staring at the skies. Ace felt like he could say anything at this moment and that the pilot would accept it, no prejudice. It was strange, how this girl that he had just met had him so relaxed, so off guard. He felt like he knew her from before. That nostalgic feeling that you couldn't quite pinpoint. Ace brushed it off as an effect of alcohol.

"Hey, Ace, why'd you become a pirate?" Ran suddenly asked him. He turned to her, and saw that she had been looking at him.

"To become Pirate King." He said bluntly. His dream was gone. There was no way he could become Pirate King. There was no way he could surpass Roger when people like Whitebeard existed in this world. He was beat.

"That's a good reason I suppose." Ran's voice brought him back to earth. She didn't laugh at his dream, nor ridicule it. She just accepted it. He wasn't used to that.

"Why did you start flying?" Ace asked her in return, truly curious. He had never thought a delivery service across the seas possible. Hell, before Ran came, he hadn't known what a glider was. The girl in question was looking at the stars again, small smile on her face.

"To be free." Her voice was low, but he caught it. "Like the birds, you know. They can go anywhere they want." She turned back to him. Their eyes locked and it was like the time stopped. This girl, probably younger than him, she looked so sad, so lonely, so experienced. Ace saw his own reflection in her for a second. In the back of his head, a voice said that she couldn't possibly be like him, but his brain refused to process the information. All he could see was the look of a lost little kid in her eyes. There was one thing she was lacking, unlike him. The rage. She didn't have his fiery anger. She just looked lost and frightened.

"Will you tell me about where you are from, Ace?" Ran broke the moment between them. She said his name again. She liked saying his name. He liked how it sounded on her lips, too. It was a gentle way to say his name. Ace obliged, and started talking. He hadn't talked like that to anyone in ages. He hadn't felt this comfortable in anyone's presence for ages. Ran had that welcoming feel around her. Like she would keep his secrets to her grave. So Ace told her. About Luffy, and Dadan, and Sabo, and about the Foosha Village. He told her about Makino, and Shanks and how insane his childhood was. He told her about the mountains and the animals he had fought there. And the many times he had fished Luffy out of the ocean. And Ran listened, paying attention. They kept passing the bottle of rum between them along with stories for a long time.

Marco stood, leaning against the wall of the Captain's quarters, a gentle smile on his face. Who knew that the Migratory Bird would get the fiery pirate to open up?

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace woke up groggily. His head was pounding again. This was becoming a bad habit. He quickly realized where he was, on the roof of the Captain's quarters. It was unusual for him to wake up on his own. Usually Marco or Leo came to fetch him up here. Slowly, the last night's events came back to him. Stories, rum and kisses. Man, he thought and relaxed back onto the warm planks. Ran wasn't anywhere near him. He could hear the pirates waking up and shuffling about. They were shushing each other, most sporting hangovers. Leo was probably worst off. He had been wasted last night.

Ace slowly sat up, gingerly placing a palm on his pounding forehead. That's it. He was going to go into celibacy. Well, into drink celibacy. The young pirate sluggishly dropped from the roof and headed for the cafeteria. He wondered if Kondor's evil drink would help him now. Anything to get rid of the hangover.

Ace stumbled into the unusually quiet cafeteria. He saw Ran and Izo sitting together, casually talking. The pilot had her back to him. The Commander, however, noticed his presence and gave him a knowing smirk. Ace didn't like that. That smile promised pain. Ran noticed Izo's attention being directed elsewhere and turned around. She didn't look too good. She seemed to be feeling the effects of their drinking last night, too. The pilot gave him a happy smile, though and waved. Ace returned it and headed towards the window where they got food.

"Morning, Kondor." He greeted the old cook.

"Ace, my boy! You don't look too good. Want me to fix that hangover again?" The old pirate started preparing Ace's food without asking what the teen wanted. The raven went to nod, but stopped himself.

"Yes, that would be great." He chose to answer, sparing his head. Kondor drank some wine straight from his bottle and then poured some into the stuff that he was cooking. Ace chanced a look at Ran over his shoulder. She was talking to Izo again, not paying much attention to Ace. He felt a pang in his chest. That was normal, right? He had opened up to her last night. He had told her things no one on Moby Dick except his former crew knew. He had kissed her, too. And now she was ignoring him, in favor of talking to Izo?

"She's nice, that Migratory Bird. But she ain't companion material, Ace, my boy." Kondor's voice surprised the young pirate. The old pirate had paused in his cooking to whisper to Ace. The raven turned back to the cook, seeing the knowing look the older man was giving him.

"I don't love her or anything. It's just-"

"You want her attention." The old pirate cut him off. "It's normal. A-aah~ When I was your age I was chasing skirts, too." Kondor picked up his pan again and flipped a pancake over. Ace looked once again at the pilot girl. She was rubbing her head. It looked like she was pretty hung over, too. "I'll tell you what, Ace, my boy. I'll fix you up my hangover cure, and you go score some points with the girl. Pirate life could end tomorrow, so, no regrets, right?" The old pirate was smiling at him, showing his missing and golden teeth.

"Thanks, Kondor." Ace smiled. He accepted the pile food and two evil looking glasses of red goo. The raven walked over to Izo and Ran, balancing his trays. Their conversation stopped and the pilot jumped up to help him with his food. Ace sat down, ignoring the smirking Commander. It felt weird sitting in the middle of the cafeteria. His back wasn't against the wall and there were no windows near him.

"Morning." He greeted and then passed Ran one of the glasses full of red liquid.

"Good morning." Izo retorted. Ace could feel the Commander's sly eyes on him, unwavering.

"Morning. Err, Ace, what is this?" Ran asked, inspecting the contents of her glass.

"Don't ask, just drink the stuff. It helps with hangovers." Ace didn't look at her face in favor of chugging his own red goo. Izo, however, saw Ran's horrified expression and laughed. The raven dug into his food with gusto. He couldn't help it. No one came in between him and his food. Besides, eating meant that the foul taste of hangover medicine was going away.

"Oh, Storm Thief help me." Ran exclaimed, her empty glass hitting the table top. "This is disgusting." The pilot grabbed some food off of Izo's plate and ate it. The Commander chuckled.

"It's quite effective, though, is it not, love?" Ran met her friend's eyes. She noticed his 'scheming face' immediately. The man was smirking at her.

"We'll see about that." The pilot said, her tone warning. Ace ignored the underlined conversation, eating. In fact, he didn't even register the exchange. Then, he felt his focus slip and his head slammed forward into his plate, fork still in the air. Ran looked at the sleeping pirate in surprise. The young girl started laughing, the Commander joining in. A couple of hung over pirates shushed them.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace woke up to conversation. By the warmth of his food, he hadn't been asleep too long. Raising his head, he swallowed the food from his fork and grabbed the edge of Izo's kimono, wiping his face. Chaos ensued. Ace noticed that Leo and Thatch had appeared while he had been asleep. The blonde looked like hell. He was sitting across from Ace and Izo, next to Thatch and holding his head. The raven turned to the source of the cuss words aimed at him. Ran was attempting to hold Izo. The Commander looked murderous. Ace gave the cross dresser a blank stare and continued eating. This caused Izo to double his efforts.

"You people are too loud. I'm going back to bed." Leo stood up, swaying. He picked up a glass, taking it with him to the dirty dishes area. The blonde had obviously received hangover medicine from Kondor.

"Izo, wait!" Ran's voice caught Ace's attention. It was like he was tuned into this girl or something. "I'm sorry guys. I'll catch you later." The pilot picked up both hers and the Commander's plates and ran after the fuming man. Thatch and Ace shared a grin. Pissing off Izo was a sport. Pissing off Marco was an art.

"So, I saw you and Ran last night." Thatch began.

"It was the rum." Ace cut him off, finishing off his food.

"Hey, I didn't say anything." Thatch was leaning back in his seat, eyes trained on Ace. "Ran is a character. But she is a Migratory Bird, Ace. She tends to leave. I'm just worried about my brother."

Ace didn't look up. He felt the heat spread through his chest and to his ears. He registered his throat seizing up, and not because of the food. A drop that fell into his plate surprised him. He hadn't expected this. From Thatch. From any of the Whitebeard Pirates. He hadn't been a member long. Heck, he didn't even have their flag on his back, yet. And Thatch considered him family. He accepted Ace. With his faults and values. Without looking at the fact that Ace had tried to kill Pops. He accepted Roger's son.

No, he didn't. He didn't know. That's why he accepted Ace. Because he was Portgas D. Ace. Because he wasn't Roger's son. Because he didn't have the same blood as that man flowing through his veins. Thatch accepted Portgas D. Ace as his brother.

The tears didn't stop however. Not even after Ace angrily wiped them away. He was faintly aware of Thatch jumping across the table and sitting next to him, asking him if he was alright. Ace felt his lips form a grin. For once, he didn't care about the fact that he was accepted as Portgas. He cared about the fact that he was accepted. He felt like a ton of weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he raised his head, laughing and crying at the same time, mouth full of food. It wasn't a pretty sight, but he didn't care. Thatch accepted him as a brother.

"Ah, look at you! C'mere!" The pompadour pulled Ace into a headlock, showing his affection. The young pirate swallowed his food just in time, too. "Guess this means that we're keeping you." Thatch said somewhere above Ace's head. The hung over pirates around them came closer, cheering, to join the now group hug.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran leaned on the wall outside of the cafeteria, palms flat on the planks. There was a blush on her smiling face. After she had caught up with Izo and calmed him down, but she had felt bad about leaving Ace and Thatch in a hurry. She had gone back to the cafeteria, deciding to spend more time with the two pirates. What she had seen, however, had shocked her. She had never seen a boy cry before. This boy, no, this man that she had kissed last night. This pirate. His emotions were so raw, so untamed, she could feel the intensity, the tension. It had stopped her in her tracks. She was no match for this man.

Ran had stepped back, watching the hugging and laughing pirates. She pushed off the wall, smiling. She didn't want to intrude. Besides, that giant grin on Ace's face suited him. That's when Ran decided. She was going to befriend the young pirate, random rum induced kissing be damned.

**That's all folks!**

**Is it me or is it getting steamy in here? Anyways, drunken pirates, need I say more?**

**I hope you enjoyed the music, if you listened to it, I loved the beat :D Made me dance around a lot hehe~**

**Oh, If I stray into the Sue thing, please give me a heads up, I try to keep it as straight as possible, but it does happen :( **

**Review answers:**

**Otaku-chan: Hello, dear! I hope you enjoyed my quick update! I already had most of it written, that's why it was so fast :D See you around :3**


	4. Prituri Se Planinata

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**Wow, I didn't expect this story to get so much attention. Anyways, I am very happy! I give my thanks to my new favs Narumiyu, Nikanox, Savage Kill and DrAnime203! And also, some new follows, thanks to Nikanox, JayJayftw, Taiya N. Strantegar and Kuroshi-Kayane! **

**Special thanks to Savage Kill, this chapter and impossibly fast update is for you love!**

**Chapter 4: Prituri Se Planinata - Nit Grit Remix**

Over the next few days, the crew of the Moby Dick got used to their temporary addition, the teenage pilot. The girl had, in return, integrated herself into the pirate group. Ran had found some of the things that she could actually do on the ship, claiming that they were similar to the stuff that she did while flying alone. So, by the time they were prepared to dock, she had an almost fixed routine day on the Moby Dick.

She would get up, wake Izo, this had to be done gently, and grab a quick shower while he was recuperating. She used his Commander suite, where no one bothered her. True, a couple of times a very naked Thatch ran in, asking for shampoo, but he also quickly exited. That mostly had to do with her tossing said shampoo at his head. Years of flying a glider gave her quite a bit of arm strength. The poor Commander found that out the hard way.

After the morning shower, Ran would help Izo with his hair, even though he didn't really need help. She just liked to play with it. He didn't complain though, because she let him do whatever he wanted with her hair. And her chocolate locks were long. They almost reached her waist. Somehow the two decided to dye her hair, or at least a part of it, the next time they had a chance.

Izo and Ran would then grab breakfast, usually Marco, Thatch, Leo or Ace would join them. Then Ran would have some time to wander around because all the pirates had their chores and/or duties to attend to. She would visit Ace and Leo on lookout, sometimes bringing them a bottle of rum. Ran also liked visiting Izo, as his men were on communications. She liked the sound of Den Den Mushi ringing. From time to time, Izo let her take down messages from their allies or crew members on the islands that they protected. Ran also volunteered to carry messages from pirate to pirate on the giant ship. She had most of their names and duties down already.

Then, lunch time would come, and the pirate would laugh with Leo, counting how many plates of food their personal black hole could inhale. They also bet on how many times he would fall asleep during that. Ran had learned that Ace's narcolepsy was quite hilarious, as he had no control or warning over when and where he would fall asleep.

The afternoons were spent similar to the mornings. Ran sometimes excused herself and took the Sparrow out for a spin. She would get antsy with being on the ship for a long time. She missed the quiet often. She missed being alone, in the dark ocean, in the middle of nowhere, at the mercy of the Gods. She missed the thrill of her constant migration. Then, she would remind herself that she was still free to leave, and that she actually chose to stay here, with these pirates, and that this was only for a while, before the wind called her away again.

The evenings were rarely quiet. Most of them were spent in song and dance, partying for no apparent reason. Ran enjoyed it. She loved this ship, in her own way, even though she was just a guest on it. Her nights were spent either with Izo or with Ace.

The young pirate and the pilot had developed a nice friendship. Ace's messed up sleeping pattern, caused by his narcolepsy, allowed him to be awake at night. Ran was used to being up late because of her unusual lifestyle. She often had to fly during the night, or be awake for long trips until she located an island. The two spent much time together. Ace had sworn on his former Captain status to teach Ran about ships. She felt quite proud of herself, as she could now list all the parts of the vessel and knew what to do in emergencies. The pirate had admitted to her that he was curious about her flying contraption. She had shown Ace how to do some basic maintenance and promised to take him up sometime.

Of course, Ace and Ran had gotten grief from Thatch. The man kept teasing the two, calling them lovebirds and making smooching noises around them. The pilot didn't seem to mind, but the young Logia user exploded. Most of the time literally. This only caused the mischievous Commander to try even harder to push the raven's buttons. They often got into it on the deck, with a crowd around them, cheering and betting. Then Marco would toss them both overboard to cool down. Most of the time on different sides of the ship. This usually resulted in Leo jumping after his charge, cursing.

Ran, of course, spent a lot of her time with Izo. They discussed everything. The connection that she felt to the cross dressing man was strange. She loved him dearly. She still remembered how ecstatic the Commander had been when she had given him her present shortly after landing on the Moby Dick. She had bought one of the original hand crafted boxes with little pockets for the eccentric man's makeup. Ran had also gotten him some new cosmetic things. The vendor in Shorira had promised her that it was all natural and great for the skin. Izo had, as usual, insisted that they both try the new goods. Ran thought that Leo and Ace were going to be mentally scarred forever after that. The duo had come to find their friend and they had let out two quite unmanly shrieks after they saw the facial masks. Izo still wasn't letting them live it down.

Ran was sitting on the railing of Moby Dick, enjoying the air. It was afternoon, the breeze was nice. Ace and Thatch had left for their punishment in the Ninth Circle and Leo was in the crow's nest. Izo had disappeared off somewhere also. This left Ran to her own devices. Most of the time, she didn't have a problem with that. But, right now, there was a warning sign going off somewhere in her head. The girl was staring out to the ocean, her back straight, eyes glazed. She could see the waves going up and down, small white capes appearing in the distance as they broke. She could feel tiny drops of the salty water on her face. The smell of the sea was in her nose, in her head, in her mind. Ran, the Migratory Bird, sat completely still. Because if she didn't, she would take her glider and fly off. The sea was calling.

"You going to leave, yoi?" Marco leaned on the railing beside her. She twitched, surprised by his sudden appearance. She was so focused that she hadn't heard him coming. The pirate was looking out into the ocean calmly.

"I want to, but I don't." Ran answered. The man flipped around, back to the sea now. He leaned on his forearms, looking at the pilot's face. The sea was calling her, he could tell. He had felt the same pull many times. Now, he didn't anymore. He had found his home, right here, at the sea.

"Have you practiced that close combat I taught you last time?" He asked, calling her back to Moby Dick. She focused on him again. Ran was like a bird. She could leave at any time. And Marco knew, if she left now, she would regret it.

"Not really." Ran shrugged. The calling had simmered down. "I don't really use it, you know." She gave the first mate a smile. "I'm not a fugitive."

"It comes in handy, yoi." Marco was grinning at her. "I have some free time right now."

"That's hard to believe." Ran retorted. She didn't want to fight. She knew what happened when Marco got her worked up. True, she had asked him to teach her how to fight, but that was a long time ago, when her position as a delivery had been unstable. Now, she had a good, neutral relationship with the Marines and the pirates. She didn't need combat. Some fancy flying could get her out of any sticky situation. However, by the look on the Commander's face, she was going to practice what he had taught her. Hopefully, he wouldn't toss her into the ocean again. "Oh, Gods, alright. Just take it easy on me, ok?" All that she got in response was a smirk.

Marco led her to the somewhat empty part of the deck. Ran could see Whitebeard sitting in his chair, nurses around him. The First Commander stood still, looking bored. He motioned with his hand for her to come at him. Ran could feel her temper spiking at his dismissal of her abilities. She knew very well that she was weak, but she was fast. Gathering her courage, Ran ran towards the Commander, aiming a straight punch to his gut.

Needless to say, Marco caught her wrist effortlessly, spinning her around. She felt her back hit his rock hard chest. "You're not even trying, yoi." The Commander's voice said somewhere above her. He sounded fairly annoyed. There was a crowd forming around the duo. Ran aimed a low kick towards Marco's precious man parts. The phoenix let her go, causing her to stumble forwards. Despite his healing abilities, a shot like that would still hurt. Ran whirled around, facing her opponent again. Marco was grinning in amusement. The crowd around them was cheering and probably placing bets.

"That's better. You're trying, yoi. But if this was a real fight, you would be dead or worse." He left that statement hanging. It was very clear, though. There were worse things in this world than being dead. And unfortunately, many of them could happen easily and unexpectedly. More than often unpunished. The cheering pirates simmered down slightly. "I think you're just scared of getting hurt." Marco baited.

It worked. Ran saw red and ran forward yet again. She used her speed and agility that years of flying had given her. The girl slipped around Marco and tried to hit his vital points. Her attempt at being sneaky was easily stopped by the Commander. The girl was getting angrier and angrier at his aloof and amused demeanor. Her punches and kicks were getting faster but sloppier. She surprised Marco when their eyes met and he saw that hers weren't glazed with rage. She was faking it.

Marco tried to step back. Ran was clearly planning something. But she was fast. The bell on the end of her chopstick jingled softly when she pulled it out and aimed a quick stab at the Commander's neck. The pirates around them were cheering. The clapping and yelling was deafening. Ran could only hear her own blood rushing through her head, through her veins as she swiftly attacked the first mate. Marco's smile widened as he got excited. His body reacted on pure instinct, answering Ran's attack. He caught the hand holding the, now harmless, weapon and flung the girl. Only when he released her wrist did he realize that she could get seriously hurt. Ran, after all, was a civilian.

As if in slow motion the pilot hit some of the boxes and barrels on the deck, halting her short flight across the ship. The crowd of pirates was suddenly silent. Marco felt dread creep in his stomach. She was just a little kid. The First Commander ran forward.

Ran sat up slowly, cradling her wrist to her chest. Marco appeared above her, a worried look on his face. He extended his hand towards the pilot. "C'mon. Let's get you to the doc, yoi. She'll fix you up in a second." The girl slowly grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her upwards.

The next thing that happened surprised everyone. Marco was so startled he didn't even react. One second he was helping Ran up and the next he was flat on his back, looking up at the sky. The smaller girl had used her momentum and flipped the unsuspecting, completely off-guard Commander onto the floor, using her back as a lever.

"Ha!" Ran exclaimed, arms up in the air. "Ha-ha!" She started laughing loudly in triumph. "Are you not entertained?!" She yelled out to the snickering crowd. Soon everyone was laughing, including the still lying Commander. "Ouch." Ran massaged her left wrist gingerly when the pirates quieted and slowly dispersed. They were giving each other beli and gold.

"Let's get that checked out, yoi." Marco brushed off his rear. He had noticed her movement. "Izo is going to go ballistic."

~~~~pb~~~~

The doctor of the Whitbeard Pirates was a rare sight on the ship. Not only was she a female pirate, but she was also dark skinned and absolutely breathtaking. The woman was exotic, the epitome if perversion in her short skirt and white sleeveless shirt. She had wavy hair, long and untamed and when she straightened, she reached Marco's height.

"What were you thinking?!" The doc pushed through her teeth at said Commander. "She is a civilian you reckless man! Ignorant!" The woman bustled around, gathering supplies and wrapping the young pilot's wrist securely. She shooed the nurse that tried to help her away.

Marco didn't retort. He knew this woman well. She had been on the ship almost as long as he had. And he knew her fiery temper. It was impossible to handle. He figured if he just allowed her to let off some steam, the woman would calm down on her own. Wrong move. His silence only caused the doc to yell louder.

Ran looked at the scene in front of her, her pain forgotten. Marco was getting scolded. This was priceless. Ran hadn't been to the doc before. She had met the woman, but she had never seen her in action. And this. This was awesome. The dark beauty radiated with power. Ran could feel some kind of energy coming off of her. One of the nurses fainted. The First Commander frowned. The tension in the air then dispersed and the doc gave her verdict.

"You can go now. Don't strain that hand for a while and drink these daily. No alcohol either." She passed the pilot some pills and shooed both her and the Commander out before Ran could even thank the woman.

Marco and Ran stood in the corridor for a moment. The First Commander focused on the pure white bandage on the pilot's wrist. The young woman caught his look and smiled up at him, softly rubbing the wrapping. "Don't worry about it, dear. I can handle it." She headed towards the deck. "When I was first learning to fly, I was banged up all the time." Marco gave her a curt nod, his hand coming up to mess up her hair.

"We're going to dock soon, yoi. Take care." With that the First Commander left her on her own in the medical wing, nurses rushing around her. Not many would notice the slight change in the man's tone, but Ran had learned to be very observant over the years. She could see the slouch of his shoulders deepen and the way he casually walked away. He was relieved.

The pilot headed towards the cafeteria. She wasn't really hungry, but she didn't want to go back onto the deck. There was a pit in her stomach. A feeling of extreme urgency. She sped up, entering the loud cafeteria. She asked the old cook on duty for a cup of hot cocoa. He gave her a smile and whipped up her request after drinking a large gulp of wine. The girl thanked him and took her beverage. She settled in the furthest, most secluded area she could find in the cafeteria.

She drank some of the sweet beverage and sighed. The pit in her stomach didn't go away. The feeling of urgency was persistent and deep. Ran knew exactly how weak she was. The pilot wasn't afraid of hard work. If she wanted o, she could probably learn and be able to best some of the weaker pirates. But she knew that she was never going to reach Marco's level. She was still as big of a coward as she had been those few years ago. She was still running away. It was much easier to run away than to face what she was feeling.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Drop the anchors!" Someone yelled from the deck. Leo sat in the crow's nest, perfect view of the island in front of them. The Moby Dick was docking. Since they couldn't really hide the huge ship, Pops chose to boldly go into the harbor. They didn't own this island. They didn't stop here frequently, either. But, since he couldn't see any Marine vessels, he figured that they would be alright.

The blonde scouted the small town as best he could. There were colorful houses everywhere, flowers and trees decorating the vibrant city. The streets were narrow and looked like a labyrinth. Leo grinned in anticipation. He loved to travel. He loved to explore. The young pirate looked to the deck once again, searching for his charge. Ace had been busy with Thatch, doing their punishment in the Ninth Circle. However, Leo had seen him on the deck earlier, helping out. He located the orange hat quickly. The raven was helping his division raise the sails.

Leo smiled contently. His job was done. The boy was fitting in, accepting himself as a Whitebeard Pirate. He would have to tell Pops that Ace was ready to go without a mentor on the ship. Once his shift was over the blonde greeted the next lookout and headed to the deck. As Pops wasn't in his usual seat Leo went to look for the giant man in his quarters. He hadn't seen Ace on deck either. The young pirate was probably with Thatch again, cleaning. He knocked on the tall door. After a moment the Captain's voice boomed 'enter' from inside. The blonde came in, only to notice most Commanders present. He wondered what was going on and threw a look at Marco. The bored man's face betrayed nothing.

"Leo. You came at a good time, my son." Whitebeard boomed.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace was a very curious person. That coupled with his stubborn head often resulted in trouble. So, when Namur came to call Thatch for an urgent Commander meeting, Ace's curiosity was tickled. Sure, he trusted the crew and considered himself one of them, but he was still just a grunt to them. And, let's face it, the raven was used to being a Captain a.k.a. someone who knew everything on the ship and made decisions. So, after Thatch left with the fishman Ace finished his work in seconds. That meant that he waited for the door to close behind the two Commanders to throw his mop and bucket away and run after the duo. He quietly followed them. By now he knew the ship quite well.

When they entered the Captain's quarters Ace crept to the tall door and tried to hear the conversation. He ended up pressing his ear to the thick wood. He could hear something. There were quite a few Commanders present. And was that Leo? He heard Vista's name being mentioned. Was the swordsman alright? Ace hadn't heard anything. He knew that the Commander was on some kind of a damage control trip, but it couldn't be too bad, right? He had quite a few people with him from his division.

The room quieted and Ace pushed his ear further against the door in hopes of hearing the hushed voices. He registered muffled footsteps a little too late. The door opened and the raven flew forward and onto the floor of the Captain's quarters. He didn't land too gracefully either.

"Looks like we have a volunteer, yoi." Ace looked up only to see Marco's sandals right in front of his face. He followed the legs upwards to the bored grinning face of the first mate.

"Indeed. Gurararara!" Whitebeard boomed and that was the last thing that Ace heard before lights out. His narcolepsy was really pissing him off sometimes.

~~~~pb~~~~

"So, you think you're up for it?" Thatch asked. He and Ace were sitting in Thatches Commander room. The pompadour had briefed his friend on the Whitebeard's decision. Apparently, Vista was having some problems. The pirates that were causing problems on Whitebeard territory had connections with the Marines. Somehow, whenever the Commander prepared to take them out, there were Marines present at the site. Unfortunately, since the island was close to The Holy Land Mariejois, Vista didn't want to go all out. That could cause problems. Instead, they had suggested for someone to go to Sabaody Archipelago and investigate. And who better than the former Captain of the Spade Pirates?

"Sure." Ace grinned. He didn't see the downside. He had wanted to head to Sabaody and get his tattoo anyways. He wanted to get the same person that did Leo's to do his. Selfish, true, but his last tattoo mishap was permanent on his shoulder. He wanted Pop's mark to be perfect. Besides, Ace loved an adventure.

"Then, there's only one thing left, since you have Pop's blessing." Thatch smirked. "You need some transportation, brother." Ace met the Commander's eyes. He caught on immediately.

"Ohhh! Let's go get me some wings then!" And the two pirates left the room, their destination the deck.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace found Ran later that night. He and Thatch had been intercepted earlier by Marco, who reminded them that they had their punishment to complete. After doing all the shopping and the carrying and running different errands while the crew partied on the island, Ace and Thatch were finally released in the late evening. The Commander headed towards the drinking pirates on the beach right away, while the raven looked for his pilot friend. He found her sitting near the Sparrow on her Den Den Mushi.

"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" Ace heard the well-practiced line. He was too far away to hear the other side of the conversation. He could see the little, blue snail making funny faces, though. "No, I am currently in the New World." The girl was rummaging through her glider's small wing pocket. She pulled out a pen and paper. It was crumpled with lots of things already written on it. "I see. I believe I can arrange something." Ace walked quietly, enjoying watching the pilot work. It was strange to see her so professional and dedicated. "Yes, I am able to take your order now." She nodded while writing a couple of times. Ace noted the way she brushed the pieces of her hair that fell into her face behind her ear absentmindedly. He smiled. "And where would you like this delivered?" She wrote something again and straightened up. "Yes, it isn't a problem. Thank you for your business! Please call again!" The conversation ended.

"Hey." Ace called out to the oblivious pilot. She whirled around.

"Hey, Ace." Ran answered, tossing him a smile. She stored her list and pen into the small wing pocket of the Sparrow again.

"You have a job?" The pirate asked, sitting down next to her. Ran nodded. "Which way are you going?"

"Back to the Grand Line. Why? You wanna come with?" She gave Ace a smirk. She knew exactly how much the raven wanted to fly in her glider. He had expressed his wish many times.

"Yeah, would that be bothersome for you?"

"Wait, what?!" Ran sat up, looking at Ace like he had horns. "Why would you want to leave Whitebeard?"

"Oh, no. No." Ace shook his head. "I'm not leaving Pop's crew. I just need a lift to Sabaody." Ran's face relaxed. She nodded.

"No problem. I'd probably stop there anyway." She was feeling giddy now. She liked this pirate a lot. A fieldtrip with him promised mischief and adventure. She couldn't wait. She was a bit scared to let him into her world. He would see how she lived on everyday basis. He would see her loneliness. She was a bit afraid of his reaction, but she pushed the anxious feeling down. She would deal with things as they came. And if he did reject her, she would fly away. She was free.

"You never told me where you're from." Ace called her back from her musings. His face was open. He was curious without ulterior motives. "Ranmao?" The pilot raised her hand, pointing to the sky. Ace gave her a pointed look. "Seriously." He said.

"I'm serious. I come from the heavens." She lowered her hand slowly. Then she grinned at him, eyes twinkling. "I'm an angel!" She told him, giggling. "Is that face supposed to mean that I'm not pretty enough to be an angel?" She was making him uncomfortable and she enjoyed it greatly. Ran loved his red embarrassed face a little too much.

"No, I, errr-" Ace took a deep breath, calming his blush. "You are pretty. That has nothing to do with this."

"Ooooh~ Why thank you!" Ran poked him slightly in the ribs, laughing. Ace sighed giving up. She always flipped and twisted his words somehow.

"You're impossible, you know?" The pilot focused on him, her giggling dying down. Her eyes were still twinkling with happiness. He liked this look on her. It suited her. Unlike that longing look he had seen earlier. The one when she stared out to the open seas like they held answers. He liked her here, in both body and mind. She shouldn't feel caged here, looking sadly out to the sea.

"I really am." She told him, her tone low. Somehow, he felt like she wasn't talking about his previous statement.

~~~~pb~~~~

The next morning Ace and Ran were ready for departure. Thatch was crying, saying something about birds leaving the nest. Izo had already smacked him on the head a couple of times for clinging to his kimono. Most of the crew had said their goodbyes to Ace and the young pilot. She was preparing her glider for the long flight, giving it some last minute tune-ups. Ran had decided to fly suitless, on lower currents. She had never taken a passenger on a flight before. Sure, she did the whole 'let's make a small circle around the ship', but taking someone with her on a trip? This was definitely a first. It was better to be safely low to the water.

Ace had packed his green bag and thrown it into the, now empty storage of the Sparrow. Ran had laughed at the watermelon print on his baggage. He had blushed and told her to 'fuck off'. This only caused the woman to laugh harder. His red face was just too adorable to the pilot. Ran had had a short meeting with Whitebeard that morning. He insisted on paying her for her services as a delivery. In exchange for his previous hospitality, she said she would fly Ace to Sabaody for free. He had laughed and told her that it wasn't his problem. The brat should pay for his own trip.

"You stay safe, alright?" Thatch said to Ace on the deck full of pirates. "Be careful not to catch a cold. I heard the currents up there can get icy."

"I can't catch a cold, Thatch. I'm a Logia." Ace smiled at the worried Commander.

"You ready?" Ran asked, standing by her glider. Ace threw one last look at the gathered crew on deck. He smiled at his family.

"Yeah."

The two walked over to the Sparrow and Ran climbed up, Ace following. She made him stand in between the parallel bars on top. He positioned himself like she had shown him last night. He was surprised when he felt her skin on his own. Even through the fabric of his shirt he could feel the small amount of heat her bare arm gave off. Ran adjusted her goggles and stepped on the small paddle of the glider. A sudden gust of air came from the bottom of the machine and the Sparrow rumbled below Ace's feet.

He felt himself become strangely weightless for a second, but then the glider flew forward with another burst of air. His orange hat flew off his head and flipped in the wind behind him. He realized that he was gripping the metal bars for dear life. Ran's body was relaxed beside him, one arm securely around his waist. She was deceptively strong. Ace could hear the pirates cheering from the deck over the wind in his ears. The rush that he was feeling was amazing. It was better than any fight he had fought. Better than any food he had ever tasted. It was like being thrown through a vortex of colors and feelings, the only purchase on the real world Ran's heat beside him.

"Pretty amazing, no?" The pilot yelled from beside him. Ace barely heard her. He turned to see her looking at him, carefully watching his reaction to the takeoff. There was a bright smile on her face. Ace nodded in answer to her question. He didn't trust his voice.

The glider leveled out and the uncomfortable roaring of the wind became much softer. Ace noticed something out of the corner of his eye then. There was a blue phoenix flying right next to them. The first mate was seeing them off. Ace threw a look in Ran's direction and saw her smile turn into a grin. She shifted her weight to lead the phoenix. The two birds circled the Moby Dick. Once. Twice. And for the last time. Three in total. Ace saw his family cheering. Thatch was hugging Izo and crying. The cross dresser was trying to push him off. Pops was drinking sake in his usual chair. Leo was waving from the crow's nest, smile on his face. Old man Kondor was on the deck, too, hands on his hips, dirty apron hanging loosely. Ace got brave and raised one hand from the safety bars, waving back with a wide grin. The phoenix separated from the glider and Marco landed next to Leo, hand raised in a lazy wave.

The Sparrow left the loud pirate ship behind it, heading towards the open seas.

**That's all folks!**

**Review reply:**

**Savage Kill: Thank you very much for the reviews! They made me write like a crazy woman :D I loved your questions, by the way! No one has ever given me questions before Q ~Q **** Tears of joy**

**Her glider is very similar to the one Nausicaa uses. I was very inspired by Nausicaa and Aang from ATLA and really wanted to make a flying OC. Then, she somehow formed in my headcannon OP universe and I realized how compatible her and Ace were. I did draw both Ran and her glider, I will try and put it somewhere and direct you to it. Hopefully in the next chapter :D**

**How tall is she? Errr somewhere around Ace's height I suppose? Everyone in WB crew is so friggin tall!**

**Yes, WB finds it very convenient to have someone deliver his stuff. And let's face it, when you have a large Yonko territory, it really does help. Besides, he's an old fashioned pirate, I think that he would invite a lady to stay at his party. Ran is the kind of person who doesn't really think about it, she accepts the free stuff and runs off when it gets ugly, so yes, she knows the crew. Not all of them really well, but she mostly knows them.**

**I hope that this chapter answered your question about her combat abilities… They are close to null. She is a civilian, but she can toss a punch or two in a regular brawl. She doesn't like to settle her conflicts with combat, she is a coward in that sense. She would fly away and be a better (wo)man rather than fight. At least that is her view at the moment.**

**Elder Pinjao… Ooooh he's gonna be back… With his handsome grandson, too!**

**So WB Pirates vs Red Hair Pirates drinking contest…. Hmmmm my prediction is: WB crew drinks more (they have more, and bigger, people) but, RH Pirates can drink longer (their captain gives them a drink work out a lot, after all) I really adore Shanks... I should just write a one-shot for him! :3**

**Ran started her delivery service because that was her only skill. She didn't know how to live any other way besides with her glider, flying. It makes her feel free. She started the whole thing to get money for food and clothes, but now she considers it her lifestyle. She doesn't have a very tragic past or anything. It will come up eventually. :D**

**Hope I answered all your questions, and see you soon :D **


	5. Mighty Long Fall

**Welcome ladies and gentlemen!**

**This chapter wrote itself out, and I decided to keep it :D It's cute and interesting and we get to learn a bit more about Ran. Also we can see how Ace and the pilot interact. I hope that she isn't going into the Mary Sue area, if you think that I am heading there, do tell. I hope that Ace is IC. This is kind of how I think he could be in his younger years. If you don't agree, you're welcome to complain, I like to hear constructive criticism :D**

**A bit of info: I don't choose the songs based on the content of the chapters. It's just what I was listening to while writing xD You're welcome to come follow my crazy music choice on soundcloud anytime :D**

**I would like to thank DrAnime203 and insanity122 for the favs! Thanks guys! And of course, Ace Portgas D, Kuroshi-Kayane and insanity122 for the follows! **

**Also, welcome back Otaku-chan! Thank you for your reviews, love! And insanity122 *bows* accept my gratitude! **

**Chapter 5: Mighty Long Fall – One Ok Rock (If you don't know these guys go check them out, they are smoking!)**

The Moby Dick had vanished on the horizon hours ago. The Sparrow was gliding on one of the warmer low currents. The two passengers were quiet. They had given up talking due to the howling wind. And the amount of bugs in the air. Ran had selected her course and she was home free to just enjoy the flight. Ace, however, was feeling the effects. From the start, he had been rigid, muscles taut and hard. He had been holding onto the glider for dear life. He could feel his body hurting. True, he was an active fighter. He was used to a lot of physical work. But he wasn't used to being all pent up in a position like this for a long time. He could feel his legs and arms trembling.

Ran tapped his hand gently. Ace looked to her. She motioned for him to go forward on the glider, around the metal bars. He gave her an exasperated look. She grinned and tightened her hold around his waist. Ace complied. Knees buckling, the pirate walked forward carefully. He was in between the two bars again soon, Ran just behind him. The glider trembled and Ace froze. He felt the Sparrow go a bit higher, catching the smooth current again. Ran pulled the pirate backwards and he felt something on his back. Ace looked down, only to see a leather strap in between the bars. Ran motioned for him to lean on it, and he did. The strap held his weight in a sitting-like position and Ace felt his muscles relax. He was good and comfortable now. He raised his head, Ran giving him a smile from above. The pilot had noticed his issue.

The duo flew for a while. They passed over a couple of ships, Marine and pirate alike. Ace found it hilarious that they went unnoticed. He could see the perks of this glider thing. The first thing that didn't go to smooth happened around noon. Ran was considering landing for some lunch. She bent down, talking straight into the young pirate's ear. She didn't notice the slight shiver that went through his body.

"Wanna land and eat something?" Ace turned, nodding to her. She smiled back and swayed slightly, the glider leaving the current. The Sparrow slowed down gradually and Ran made a small circle with it, preparing to land onto the soft waves. That's when Ace felt it. His focus was slipping. Everything became blurry and his muscles slowly relaxed. Ace fell asleep, his lax body slipped off the glider and he was heading for the ocean. Fast.

Ran realized what was happening a second too late. By the time she had found purchase on the glider with her feet to free her hands, Ace was already flying down. She made a quick decision, changing her position. The Sparrow made a nosedive towards the ocean. Ran leveled out with the sea once again, heading back towards the spot where Ace had fallen in. She cursed his narcolepsy and Devil Fruit abilities. Luckily, they weren't too far up when he fell. She cursed herself for removing her arm from around her passenger. Ran let go of the glider, following the young pirate into the ocean, the Sparrow flying off on its own. She didn't care. Ran splashed into the sea.

She blinked twice and swam downwards. Her goggles allowed her to see better in the blue depths. She thanked the Calypso in her head for giving them calm seas today. Ran saw Ace's ridiculous orange hat and kicked. She thanked him for wearing that dumb hat in her mind. The pilot reached him fast, even though to her it seemed like ages. She grabbed the hammer's hand and swam up. He was heavy. He was so heavy. And she was so slow. Too slow. She had forgotten to take a full breath. Her face broke the salty surface, the pilot gasping for air. She pulled her companion up, holding his immobile body close and his head above water. Ran checked his breathing. Then, she felt relief spread through her. Her muscles were trembling from the abuse she had put them through while fishing the hammer out. Ran started laughing loudly, kicking weakly in the water. Ace was still asleep. He was softly snoring, oblivious to the fright he had just given her.

Ran looked around, trying to locate the Sparrow. It had flown for a little bit and now it was innocently floating on the soft waves. The pilot kicked and swam towards the vessel. Ace was pretty heavy. Not as heavy as he had seemed to be earlier, but he was a pain to swim with. Ran felt a pang in her sprained wrist. Damn, she thought. She wasn't supposed to strain that. She hadn't been thinking when Ace fell.

She truly hadn't. She had so many options now that she actually thought about it. Her brain had somehow frozen though. It was like it had been iced and the only thing she could see was Ace drowning. She was glad that she usually flew alone. Correction, she was glad that she didn't fly with a Devil Fruit user.

Ran hauled Ace's limp body onto her glider. She struggled for a bit and then managed to push him onto his back. The pilot circled the vessel and climbed up on the opposite side to balance the weight. She checked on Ace again. Still asleep. She didn't have to circle like that with her glider. She could've just jumped right away. No, she should've kept her arm around Ace. She could've gone down with the Sparrow. The glider would've pushed them up faster, due to the empty storage and its light composition. She slicked back the strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun with shaky hands. The adrenaline was leaving her system. She was trembling. Damn this pirate. Damn her for taking him with her. Damn his narcolepsy. Just damn.

Ran heard a groan and Ace sat up groggily. "What happened?" He asked, disoriented. They had been flying last time he checked. Ran's arms wrapped around him suddenly, squeezing hard. Ace was startled, but he automatically accepted the hug. She was trembling. And she was wet. Had they fallen into the sea?

"Damn you! You and your stupid narcolepsy!" Ran yelled. That explains it, Ace figured. He let her hug him, slowly using his Devil Fruit power to warm her up. He could feel the water slowly evaporating.

"Are you turning into a furnace?" Ran asked into his neck. He shivered at the feel of her lips and breath. He needed to get laid. Soon. And hopefully not with Ran. He liked her too much to ruin their friendship with his pent up sexual frustration.

"I'm just thanking you for fishing me out of the sea." He replied, his hands making comforting circles on her back. Ran wasn't trembling anymore. He felt something on her back. Two small parallel bumps were under the back of her 'too small to be called a shirt and too wide to be called a bikini' top. Right under her shoulder blades. He softly brushed his hands over them again and Ran ripped herself away from him. Ace expected her to look guarded. He expected anger. Not a smile.

"Let's have lunch and get back in the air." She walked away from the pirate, opening the storage to dig out their lunch boxes. Kondor couldn't send Ace on his way without a lunch box. Or ten. "We have a lot of ground to cover." Ace realized that she wasn't going to give him a chance to ask about the bumps. He would wait for her to be ready. He would wait for her to trust him enough.

"Don't you mean water?" He grinned at her and took his lunchbox. She laughed and murmured 'smartass'.

~~~~pb~~~~

The next time the glider stopped was at a small summer island. Needless to say, Ace was starving. He didn't understand this woman. She could go for hours without food. As soon as they landed he went to leap onto the sandy beach, but that didn't go too well. The pirate was pulled back by his belt. He turned to Ran, giving her an annoyed look.

"Ok, ok! Sheesh, just a second!" She unclasped the secure line that was attached to the bars of the glider, letting the pirate free. After her little nose dive and dip into the ocean because of the narcoleptic, Ran had found a solution to her problem. She had tied the poor man's belt with a chain to the bars, thus preventing him from falling off if he had an unexpected narcolepsy fit.

Ace wasn't too happy about that. In fact, he felt angry at the pilot. Sure, he understood her reasoning. But these kinds of things happen. Ace was a pirate. It was natural for him to end up in the ocean at least once a day. And, since he was a Devil Fruit user, he was used to sinking helplessly. He didn't enjoy it, but he had gotten used to it. He didn't get how the pilot couldn't understand that it wasn't a big deal. He was also quite annoyed about the lack of food. He liked his food. He was angrier when he was hungry.

"I'm going to go to the town that we saw from the air and get some supplies. You need anything?" Ace asked, taking his bag from the storage. Ran looked around the beach.

"You should get us some water for the trip. Other than that, I am good." Ace noted the missing contractions in her words. She was pissed at him, too. Great. "I will pull the Sparrow into the shade over there." She pointed to the palm trees a little ways off. Ace nodded and left, his bag on his back and hat on his head. He needed to let off some steam.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran started a small fire near the Sparrow, careful to make it safe. She rummaged through the storage and took out a soft blanket she had gotten last year from a winter island on the Grand Line. It was adorable, with little snowmen painted all over it. She took out her water bottle and a boxed lunch and sat down. She took a moment and then decided to wait for Ace. He had been gone for a while. The sun was almost all the way down. Ran took out the chopsticks from her hair and let it flow down her back. She leaned onto her hands and looked up, watching the twinkling stars.

She had been mad at Ace. How did he not get it? She had tied him to the glider for his own safety. She had been worried about him. He had fallen off the glider for Calypso's sake. He had plunged into the sea from at least twenty meters. He was lucky that she had been landing. He was lucky that he didn't hurt himself. He was so lucky. And he just took it in stride. Like it was nothing. She had been worried. She had been terrified. And not for herself. That wasn't something that she was used to. She didn't have such strong emotional attachments. Izo was right. She was afraid of emotional intimacy.

She was going to be fine, though. Ran reassured herself. They would get to Sabaody Archipelago by tomorrow evening. Then, she would leave the troublesome pirate and be on her way. Alone. Like it was supposed to be.

She did want an adventure with the hot pirate though. Damn. Ran was torn. This was rare. Usually, she didn't have a problem with leaving. She left when wanted to leave. To fly. To be free.

"Here." A hand appeared next to her head, holding an ice-cream cone. Ran followed the tan limb all the way to the smiling, freckled face of her mental debate. She accepted the treat with a smile.

"Thanks." Ran murmured and licked some of the vanilla flavored scoop. Ace plopped down next to her and lay back onto the blanket, hands behind his head. Ran passed him the boxed lunch silently. He propped himself up on his elbow and started eating. There was silence between the two for a moment.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so pissed. You can tell me about it when you're ready, ok?" Ace began once he finished his food. Ran looked back at him, confused.

"Tell you about what?"

"The bumps on your back." Ace motioned with his hand at them, slight frown on his face.

"Huh?" Ran spun around, sitting facing him now. "I can tell you about them right now, they aren't important. I'm not angry because you were curious about them."

"Then what?" Ace sat up, coming closer to the young pilot.

"I'm angry because you dismiss your life! You are important! You can't just be reckless and get yourself killed like an idiot!" Ace felt his jaw drop. She was worried about him. She had been scared for him. She wasn't mad because he was touching and wondering about her weird bumps. She was angry because she didn't understand his lifestyle. Ace sighed. He took her hand in his and squeezed gently.

"I'm a pirate, Ranmao. I will get into dangerous situations a lot. My life will be in danger a lot. I am wanted by the Government. And I don't regret a single thing." His eyes were boring into hers, Ace's hands gripping her shoulders now. Ran looked back. She seemed so lost. So sad. His eyes were full of spirit, a small smile on the pirate's face. He was free, too, in his own way.

"I will worry." She told him. He hugged the sad girl gently. "This is so weird." She snickered. Ace pulled back, searching for her eyes. The pilot started laughing. The pirate joined in. They both felt the tension between them clearing. "Wait, why were you pissed at me?" The pilot asked.

"You wouldn't let me eat, crazy woman! You flew for hours without food!" Ace whined. Ran started laughing again.

"You should've said something, idiot! I'm not a black hole, unlike you!" She threw her hands up, gesturing wildly. Ace pouted and rummaged through his backpack. He turned to her with a grin and a rum bottle in his hand.

"Well, since we are clearing the air, let's drink to that!" He chuckled happily, opening the bottle.

"I can't drink because of the medicine for my wrist." Ran frowned slightly. She wanted to drink good booze and drunkenly confess her sins.

"We both know you haven't taken that stuff since yesterday. So, tonight, we drink to friendship, and tomorrow, you take your medicine and be a good girl. Deal?" Ace was smirking. He knew her answer already. Ran groaned and took the bottle out of his hands, drinking. She let out a sound of satisfaction, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and passed it back to Ace. Ran welcomed the burn in her throat.

"Don't laugh at me now, ok?" Ace gave her a confused look. He swallowed some rum. "I'm from above." Another confused look. "From a Sky Island." Ace's eyes widened, but he didn't laugh. He blinked a few times. Then he drank some more and passed her the bottle.

"That makes sense." He finally said. Ace believed her. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't ridiculing her. Ran gave him a smile and took a drink.

"The bumps, those are my wings." She told him, passing the bottle again. Ace gave her one of his confused looks. "They didn't develop. It happens. They will probably dissolve completely by the time I'm twenty." Ace was silent. "It's not like I could fly with them, even if they had grown out. They would just make my wardrobe ridiculous."

"Your wardrobe is ridiculous." The pirate supplied. Ran snorted. He took another swig of the rum and passed the bottle back. "But, hey, you have your own, useful wings, right? So who cares if you don't have the proper- errr- whatever they are." He gestured to her back.

"Agreed." Ran said and put the bottle to her lips again. The two were already buzzed nicely. Ace lay back down on the blanket and made room for Ran. The pilot joined him, using his arm as a pillow, the bottle in between them.

"So, we're good?" The pirate asked.

"Yeah. We're peachy." The girl replied. "Even though you're a reckless moron."

"You're telling me, you sadistic woman."

"Actually, I think I'm an M." Ran pointed out, tasting the rum again.

"Really?" Ace raised his head slightly. "I thought you would be S. With those chains and all. Kinda hot." Ran giggled. They laughed again. The air was cleared. They were back to their usual suggestive banter.

~~~~pb~~~~

The next morning wasn't pretty for the two friends. They had gone to the small town in search of water and hangover medicine. Both had come to a conclusion that Kondor had the best stuff. Even though it was disgusting. In the end, they flew out in the late morning, after a very adventurous dine and dash. Ran didn't realize why they hadn't just paid, she had money. She had just gotten paid. But Ace had told her to live a little and grabbed her arm to run out of the restaurant.

They set off soon after that. Ace had allowed Ran to chain him to the glider again, laughing and making jokes about sadism. They ended up flying low, even lower than yesterday. There the wind wasn't as loud as it was higher up. The currents were much weaker, too. This meant that Ran often had to use the mechanism in the Sparrow to give them a boost.

The two had discussed S&M. They entered a game of sorts, where they would explain why a certain action or person was S or M. They decided that Izo was a sadist all the way, while Thatch, though seemingly S, was an M. Marco, of course, gained an undisputed S title. Ace admitted that he would probably enjoy both, but that he was more of an S. Somehow, though, they got from that weird debate to Ace daring Ran to show him some flying tricks.

After lunch, she obliged. Ace had eaten a lot, as much as he wanted. Now, he wished he hadn't. The girl had some sick flying skills. She twirled, swirled, nosedived, cut the waves and did various other tricks. Ace felt like he was on a free, very dangerous rollercoaster. The fear that he had felt in the beginning of their journey had vanished after the first few twirls. Now, he understood how she could ride the Sparrow so calmly.

By the end of the day, the Sparrow landed on the Sabaody Archipelago. Ace had expressed his joy about flying over the Red Line, and not going under it. He felt like they were cheating somehow. He said that it was like they were breaking the rules and rubbing it in the Marines faces. Ace was laughing merrily all the way down the Red Line. Ran circled around the Archipelago and landed in the lawless zone.

"Have you been here before?" She asked Ace as she unchained him. The pirate stood and stretched.

"Once." He dug his bag out of the storage. "It was very brief, too. I didn't go sightseeing or anything." He positioned his hat in its proper place, eyes going serious. "I'm not here to have fun this time either." He gave Ran a smirk. He was excited about the danger.

"Adrenaline junkie." She fired at him with a shake of her head. The pilot sealed the storages on her vessel and took out the small gear that started the takeoff mechanism. She placed it in one of her pouches.

"Funny, coming from you after all those air tricks." The pirate shot back. Suddenly he straightened and offered Ran his arm. "My lady." He gave a small bow, taking off his hat like a gentleman. "Would you do me the honor of taking a stroll with me?" Ran gave him a smile.

"Why of course, good sir!" She intertwined their arms and the duo headed towards the populated area.

~~~~pb~~~~

The Sabaody Archipelago was beautiful. The tall trees, the cozy houses, the bubbles flying everywhere. The vibrant colors along with strange texture of the trees made it seem like a walk in the fairytale. However, as the pirate and his companion strolled through the busy streets, they couldn't help but overhear the whispers.

"Isn't that Fire Fist?"

"Of the Spade Pirates?"

"Yes, the one who rejected the title of Shichibukai."

"I heard that Whitebeard leveled his crew."

"Loser."

"Shhhh! Don't look at him."

"Came back to the weaker seas."

Ran could feel Ace's arm heating up under her skin. His eyes were murderous. He was going to cause a scene if she didn't do something. A scene on Sabaody was never a good thing. Ran tightened her grip on the pirate's arm. His eyes met hers briefly. She trembled with the amount of rage that was there. She had never seen such anger. Such hatred. Who was this man? Where was her funny companion? Where was the adorable, embarrassed pirate from before?

Then, just as Ace's shoulders were lighting on fire, the young pirate stumbled and fell towards the ground, asleep. Ran caught him around the middle, relief spreading through her. She dragged him into a nearby abandoned house and plopped down, settling Ace's warmer body comfortably on her own. There was no way that she would carry him somewhere on her own. True, she probably had the strength, but he would strangle her later. Ran took out a crumpled piece of paper from one of her pouches and went over it. She had quite a few people that she did work for on Sabaody. She could try and help Ace with his investigation. The poor guy was obviously more of an 'let's beat them up' type. She could stay here for two days max. Then she needed to go. She had another job lined up.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco sat next to his Captain, the latter drinking sake in his favorite chair on the deck of Moby Dick. The old pirate ignored his first mate in the beginning. The brat obviously wanted something. Even though his face looked bored and indifferent, he gave off that aura of anxiety. Whitebeard waited for his son to speak on his own. No use rushing the lad. He looked over his partying sons on the deck. They had set off a few hours ago. Ace had been gone for two days. Ran also. It was strangely quiet. The party was in full swing, yet no one had challenged Marco to a duel at least fifty times. The First Commander hadn't thrown said person overboard for burning parts of the ship. Nor did Leo jump in after the hothead, cursing. Ace was gone. Whitebeard had really gotten used to his new son's loud and disruptive nature. It was rather amusing.

"Was that a good idea, Pops?" Marco finally spoke. The first mate was drinking, even though he couldn't really get drunk due to his Devil Fruit abilities. He was drinking to feel the comfortable buzz of the alcohol. Besides, it helped him think.

"Which part?" Whitebeard retorted. Marco looked at his old man, judging his expression.

"Can we trust either of them with something like this?"

Whitebeard sighed. "That brat doesn't have my mark yet. That will be his advantage. He will come back, son." The old pirate then looked at Marco. "Don't you remember when Ran came here for the first time?"

Marco started snickering and then laughed. He remembered. She had come, in a beat up glider, grease and soot all over her. She had landed on the deck, in the middle of the pirates who were ready to attack at any second. And then she had marched up to Whitebeard, stood tall, looked him in the eye and when he asked her who she was and what she wanted, she yelled that she was here to 'service the strongest man in the world'. This wording had, of course, caused mayhem. After the crew had calmed down a bit, getting their minds out of their gutters, the little girl had explained her situation. That had been four years ago. She had been just a tiny kid to Marco. Barely fifteen. And she had been running errands for them ever since.

"That brat isn't a bad one. She just needs a little push in the right direction." Whitebeard said. "She has spirit, that one. Both of them do."

"Would that push be taking up your flag, old man?" Marco was grinning at the giant of a pirate knowingly. Whitebeard drank some sake and laughed loudly. All of his children were cheeky.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran and Ace split up. She headed towards the tourist district, looking for things for her next delivery. Ace decided to stay in the lawless part of the archipelago. Even though he wasn't a Captain anymore and not many knew of his status as a Whitebeard pirate, he wanted to keep a low profile. He needed to gather information about the pirates who were attacking the Torentes islands. Marco had given him all the information that Vista had gathered. Now, it was up to Ace. His stomach rumbled and he decided to hit two birds with one stone. Besides, who better to gather info from than a bartender?

The young pirate entered the shady establishment, ignoring the whispers and looks that he caused. Ran had made him promise to control his temper. He would. This time.

Ace sat on a barstool and ordered. The bartender gave him a disbelieving look, but he went to get the mountain of food. The man was big and unpleasant looking, with an apron tied around his waist. When Ace asked what he knew about the Torentes, the man's eyes widened. Ace placed a small bag of golden coins onto the bar and dug into his food with gusto. The bartender was looking at the glinting money. It was too close to the dangerous pirate. He caved and told the young man what he knew. Ace smirked. He loved being a pirate.

After getting all he wanted from the bartender and leaving him some money for his trouble Ace left the establishment. It was rare for him to pay for food. Well, the fat bartender was going to get in trouble for giving Ace the information. Might as well give him something in return. Money was easily obtainable these days.

Ace looked at his hand. Ran had drawn a map on it clumsily, she was a bit better than Luffy with drawing, explaining where they should meet and where he could go. Ace took out the paper from his bag where Leo had written the information about his tattoo artist. Might as well head there first. He still had time. Ace walked down the street, heading towards the grove number 15. He would get his tattoo tonight.

**That's all folks!**

**Ok, so about the age thing, it's been bugging me. We know that Ace leaves three years before Luffy (Ace is 20 when he dies) so I figure that he joins WB around a year after he becomes a pirate. So I consider him around 18, give or take a few months. Ran is 15 when she comes down to the Blue Sea, so she is 19, a bit older than Ace. I know that the age difference may bug you, but I'm sorry, Ran was an OC made on the side, and then I realized how well she went with Ace. **

**As for the reviews:**

**insanity122: Thank you very much! I noticed that you have an AcexOC, and I promise to give you a review when I go through it, I am a tad busy with college at the moment. **

**I hope that I made a bit of a different thing ;) I've read a lot of stuff about Ace, I can't help but love AcexMarco, but I felt like there was more room for originality. Ace is a very cool character, with all his flaws, and I hope that I am portraying him well :D**

**Enjoy the new chapter and come chat in the reviews again :D**

**Otaku-chan: Are you not entertained? Mwahahahaha~ :D Hope you enjoyed this one, too.**


	6. Terca Na Tišinu

**Welcome, friends! **

**Well, I promise no more fast updates, sorry! I have lots of ideas, but no time :( **

**Thank you very much for another review, Otaku-chan! I checked this side, the chapter is up, I hope you can see it fine on your phone now :D**

**I have noticed that a lot of OCs in AcexOC stories kind of lose themselves and have Ace as a necessary person to their existence. I will not do that. Ran is her own person. She will have adventures on her own, with other people. Though, I must warn you, I love OCs… they sort of pop up a lot in my stories, sorry xD**

**So, onto the chapter!**

**Chapter 6: Terca Na Tišinu - Silente**

Ran hadn't found anything of interest to Ace and Whitebeard Pirates yet. She sighed, looking over her list of customers once again. Only a couple left. She could go there tomorrow. Ran had bought all the necessary items for her next delivery. She had put them in one of the bubbles and tied a string to the bags. She was set for a while. The sun was down, but it wasn't that late and she was near the meeting place that she had drawn on Ace's hand.

She still had more time, though. Ran decided to pay her UFO fees before meeting the pirate. The UFO was mostly made up of Marine vessels in experimental stages and an occasional well-built aircraft. Needless to say, the fell built machines were mostly the work of people who came from Sky Islands. Their ancestors had brought the impressive technology from the Moon. True, most of it was lost, but some stayed active even to this day. Ran had grown up on a small Sky Island that used a lot of the lost technology. The whole city had been built like a giant steampunk mechanism, three smaller clouds, the suburbs, pulling the contraption into the desired direction. It was told that the city itself had a heartbeat. Ran had thought that they meant the metal gears and fires that took hundreds of people to manage, but she had been wrong. Sometimes, at night, she could swear that she heard the city sighing softly.

Ranmao was privileged. She grew up on the main cloud, in the outer ring of the city. She had learned to fly her own glider at an early age, like most of her friends. But, back then, she wasn't free. Without even knowing, she had been chained to that metal island. She had been just a gear in the giant system. Her wings had been broken. But, she managed to heal. She flew away. And she had never stopped flying since.

Ran stopped in front of the bank. She waited in line for a little while and soon it was her turn. The girl put some of Whitebeard's money on the counter, saying that it was for the UFO under her name. The woman behind the desk accepted Ran's membership card and told her to wait. The UFO took only a small bit of money monthly, almost like a guild. Paying meant that you had permission to fly. Ran was legally allowed to soar in the skies. The few gold coins were a small price to pay for that freedom. The woman behind the desk gave her the card back and smiled, wishing her a good day. Ran left, storing her identification safely into its pouch. She looked up and took a deep breath. She could smell the night. It was time to meet up with Ace.

~~~~pb~~~~

The young pirate found the Tattoo parlor easily enough. He entered and saw the tattoo artist right away. Leo had told him so much about this guy. Ace walked forward towards the bald man through the empty shop. He turned left and right, looking in wonder. Art was everywhere. The bald artist had spray painted the whole house from the inside. The neon lights gave off a bluish light, making the various designs seem alive.

"Welcome." The artist drew attention to himself. He was tall and muscular, slender, but strong looking. The man was wearing only short pants. However, it looked like he had a long sleeved shirt on. There were designs all over his skin. He also had a couple of piercings.

"Leo sent me here." The bald man furrowed his eyebrows. "Leo from the Whitebeard Pirates. About this tall." Ace showed with his hand. Leo was a bit taller than himself. "Blonde hair." Ace continued his show and tell. The bald man looked a mix of angry and confused. "Ridiculous long ponytail. Very polite?" The young pirate ended with a question. The bald man looked pissed for a few more seconds, but then a grin appeared on his face.

"I'm Gator. Let's get some proper art on you, kid."

Ace smirked. He liked this guy already.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran had been waiting for a while. Then, she got annoyed. She remembered that Ace had said how he wanted to get his tattoo done on Sabaody. Something about Leo's Alligator artist being reliable. She frowned, trying to recall the grove number. The pilot had stored her purchases into the Sparrow already, so she just needed her pirate companion. Jumping onto the glider, she stepped on the paddle and a burst of air propelled her upwards.

Ran flew through the trees skillfully. There were quite a few people riding bubble bikes in the air. They either greeted her with a smile or yelled about her preferred way of travel. Either way, she didn't care. The pilot descended and stopped in front of a bubble bike store. These guys usually knew everything. Ran jumped off the Sparrow and ran up to the vendor.

"Hey, Ossan!" The girl got his attention. The woman waiting in line didn't look too happy. Then again, she had three kids running all around her.

"Wait in line!" The woman complained. Ran threw her an apologetic smile.

"Do you know where the Alligator tattoo parlor is?" The pilot asked.

"Grove 15, little lady. But, you shouldn't go there. It's dangerous! Hey!" The man yelled after her, but Ran was already flying up.

"Thanks!" She yelled to the vendor over the gleeful cheering of the angry women's children.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace lay on his stomach, torso bare. He was almost asleep, listening to the buzzing of the tattoo needle. The pain was strange, but he got used to it fast. He had decided in a split second to literally take Pop's mark onto his back. He had told the tattooed man to put the original, purple mark from his memory straight onto Ace's back. Gator had laughed and shown him to the leather bed. The artist had then given him a pair kairoseki handcuffs. Ace had, of course, already seen himself getting tricked and arrested. He had jumped into a defensive position but Gator had grabbed his hand and shoved the handcuffs into it. 'Just hold that.' The artist had told him, smiling. 'You're a Logia, right, Fire Fist?' After a nod from a very confused Ace, Gator had retorted with 'You aren't my first Logia, kid. Lay down.'

And that is how Ace ended up, lying on his stomach, almost asleep. Gator had taken a picture of Whitebeard's flag seemingly out of nowhere and was slowly making the contours on the young man's back. Ace had to say, the artist had a light hand. Sure, the raven had already had one tattoo done, but it was much more painful compared to this one. Gator broke the skin gently and then pushed the pigment in with soft motions. Ace was very impressed.

"Kid, who did this?" The artist asked.

"Mmm?" Ace couldn't really see what the man was looking at.

"The tattoo on your shoulder. Who did it?" Ace felt the man pulling the skin on his arm a bit to get a better look at the work.

"A tattoo artist from the East Blue. I got it about a year ago." Ace tried to look at the artist, but gave up. "Why?"

"Sorry kid, but that's amateur work." Gator paused for a second, wiping the blood away from the skin. "What happened here? A mistake?" Ace felt the artist brush his fingers over the crossed out 'S'.

"No. That's in honor of his brother. His brother's pirate flag." Ran spoke from the direction of the door. Wait. Ran?! Ace jumped up, forgetting about both the needle on his back and the narrowness of the leather bed. He whirled around from his new position on the floor to look at the pilot. She was leaning on the doorway, arms crossed and a smirk on her face. "You forgot?" She remarked.

"Shit." Was all Ace said. It explained everything perfectly. Gator helped the young pirate back onto the leather bed, laughing. The raven was lucky that the artist had moved fast enough. Otherwise, there would've been a very interesting addition to the Whitebeard's mark. "Ran, I-" Ace began, but Ran raised her hand to stop him.

"It's all good." She pushed away from the doorway and sat near Ace's head. "I found you, so it doesn't matter."

"Stay still, kid." Gator pushed Ace's back down. "Your girlfriend is here now, so she can hold your hand." Ran snorted, trying to stifle her laughter. Ace frowned.

"I'm not his girlfriend. I'm unattached, love." She smirked at the tattooed man. The artist returned the smile. Ace watched the interaction, intrigued. "Don't worry, Ace, though. I'll hold your hand, attached or not." The pirate gave her an annoyed look while she laughed with the tattoo artist.

"Really? You're gonna flirt in front of me, you M woman? And joke at my expense, too?" The raven joked. "For real?" This caused the trio to laugh together.

"I'm Ran, by the way." The pilot introduced herself to the artist. He wiped his hand from ink and shook hers.

"Like Ran the Migratory Bird? That Sparrow delivery?" Gator said, sitting back down. He continued his work on Ace's back.

"That's me." The pilot laughed.

"I see. Maybe I'll give you a job sometime then." Gator explained. "I'm Gator. It's short for Alligator." The artist gave her a quick smile. Ran nodded.

"It's good." The tattoo artist said after a while of working in silence. The two teens exchanged confused looks. "Getting a tattoo for that reason. To keep a memory. To keep someone alive." Ran noted the way Ace's eyes glazed over. He had gone somewhere. He had gone back in time.

"Yeah." The pirate murmured. For a few moments the only sound in the room was the soft buzzing of Gator's needle. "How long will it take for you to finish the tattoo?" Ace suddenly asked.

"Hmmm…" Gator didn't really reply. "Certainly not tonight." He told the two. "Your skin needs to rest."

~~~~pb~~~~

Gator had thrown Ace and Ran out, after many shots of tequila, to close his shop. Ran had politely declined the drinks, but Ace, being himself, couldn't resist. The artist and the pirate had drunk quite a few shots. The tattooed man had then wrapped up Ace's back and given him instructions on how to care for his developing tattoo. The pirate was supposed to come back tomorrow, bright and early, for the next part of the design. Gator had also allowed Ran to leave the Sparrow behind his shop. He said that the glider would be safe there. The pilot had thanked him numerous times. She always had a problem with where to leave her vessel on the Archipelago.

Ace swayed and snickered as he and Ran searched for a nice hotel. The pilot had insisted on sleeping in a real bed this time. The raven had, nicely buzzed, agreed to everything. He reminded the girl of Leo a bit, all sloshed like that. This, however, left Ran slightly supporting him as he talked away. She soon located the hotel that she knew and pulled the pirate in. The receptionist gave them a once over.

"There are Love Hotels on the groves with lower numbers." The sharply dressed man told the duo with distaste. This caused Ace to burst into drunken laughter. Ran rolled her eyes and placed a few gold coins onto the counter.

"If you call your manager, she will tell you that I stay here often." The pilot told the surprised man icily. She didn't like being mistaken for a whore. "I would like the Sky suite for the night."

"Y-yes, ma'am!" The suddenly polite receptionist exclaimed. "I will get your key right away!"

"Yeah, you better do that." Ace decided that this was a good time for his drunken interruption. "My girl here and I need a good room with a soft bed for the night." Ran sighed. Obviously the poor pirate's filter had vanished under the influence of tequila. She made a mental note to remove the drink from his immediate vicinity next time. It was only hilarious when she was in a similar state, after all. The receptionist had a shocked look on his face. Either he was surprised at Ace's unconscious confirmation of his previous suspicions or he had figured out who the young pirate was. This hotel was an expensive and luxurious one, after all. Not many pirates stayed here.

Ran thanked the man under her breath and took the keys. She headed towards the bubble elevator. The mechanism took them all the way to the top, to the Sky suite. It was probably one of the most expensive ones, but it was worth it inn Ran's opinion. Not only did it have a separate bathroom, but said bathroom also had running water, curtsy of one of the Sky Islands. They had sold the technology to the hotel for a high price and they did repairs on it regularly, too. The beds were heavenly, also. The pilot had felt like she was sleeping back home, on a cloud, when she stayed there the first time. Ran didn't stop on islands like Sabaody a lot, but when she did, she liked to spoil herself. Living a lifestyle like hers, she could afford it from time to time.

The pilot unlocked their room and dragged the, now asleep, pirate inside. She dropped his lax body onto the large bed and sighed. Ace snored on innocently, dead to the world. Ran smiled slightly at the snot bubble that was moving with his breathing. Gross, she thought, snickering. She would miss the young pirate. She was leaving tomorrow after all.

Ran took the chopsticks out of her hair and undid her belts, dropping them onto the nightstand, along with her goggles. She popped one of the pills for her wrist into her mouth and swallowed. She took off her boots and her socks and left them randomly on the floor. Then she rolled Ace onto his stomach, to make it easier for his irritated skin to heal. She took off his shoes and socks and tossed them behind her. Damn. Men needed to work in their hygiene. At least pirates took a dip in the ocean often. Ran's mind flashed back to her adventure of fishing Ace out of the sea. She flinched. Maybe not.

Ace was still snoring softly on the bed. Ran zeroed in on the orange cowboy hat. She liked it. Even though it was ridiculously bright. She removed it from Ace's back and carefully untangled the string from around his neck. Ran then flipped the hat around. Curious. The smiley faces were cute. She put the hat on her head. It was big. Ran giggled. What the hell was she doing? She placed the hat on the nightstand over her stuff and plopped down next to Ace. Soon, Ran was out like a light.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace woke up because the sun was hitting his face. It was very persistent. He cracked one eye, taking in his surroundings slowly. It was strange for him to sleep through the night. The doc had told him that if he wanted to fix his narcolepsy he should have a fixed sleeping routine. Ace completely failed at it. He was used to falling asleep and waking up randomly. He wasn't used to waking up because the sun was hitting his face. Then again, he felt like he was lying on a cloud.

Ace opened his eyes further, blinking a few times to focus. What he saw was unexpected. Had he given into his pent up sexual frustration under the influence of tequila last night? Glancing down, he saw that they were both clothed. Good. The pirate focused back on his bedmate. Her arms were around his middle, her legs clinging to him, too. She obviously liked the heat he gave off. Her body was always cold.

Ran opened her mouth, murmuring something. This made Ace focus on her lips. He didn't consider himself a pervert. Nor a womanizer. But you try waking up to a sleeping woman. Besides, the pilot was usually moving around a lot. He didn't get a chance to take in her features carefully. Now, he could see her long, dark eyelashes gently fluttering on her cheeks. Her lips were full, a small smile stretching them. She was tan from all the flying. He could see the line where her goggles usually were. Her eyes were blue. Wait, blue?

"Morning." Ran whispered. Ace could feel it set his head off. Damn hangover. Ran snickered. Then she did something unusual. She bent forwards and kissed his cheek gently. Ace felt himself blush.

"What was that for?" He asked, pulling away from her. The pounding in his head lessened gradually.

"Nothing much." Ran had untangled herself from him and was on her way to the adjoining room. "I call dibs!" She yelled from behind the bathroom door.

Ace lay on the bed for a while. He could hear water rushing in the bathroom. He wasn't sure what to think. He liked Ran, that was sure, but the girl was very confusing. Then again, Ace didn't have many girl friends. He was used to being a pirate, having an adventure, getting into trouble, stuff like that. Besides, growing up with Luffy and Sabo didn't really help his interaction with the opposite gender. He knew that girls were strange. They never knew what they wanted. But, Ran, she was weird. She was off somehow. And he liked that.

She was bold. He wasn't used to women being bold. Civilian women were soft and gentle and shy. Not bold and loud. Women didn't joke at his expense. They didn't banter and throw insults. They weren't Ran. He had seen the pilot have her girly moments. He had seen her shriek, be worried, blush and fangirl over things. Maybe he just wasn't used to a free woman. Ran knew that she had a choice and she made it on her own. She was determined.

Ace decided that he could, and would, trust this woman. Hell, he already did. He was, after all, looking for a life without regrets. He was looking for freedom. And who better to understand that, beside his family, than a Migratory Bird?

Ace stood, ignoring the slight twinge of the fresh tattoo on his back. He took a moment to look around the room. It was round, like most buildings on Sabaody and there were large windows on the opposite side of the door. It was decorated like some kind of a sky room. Everything was cloud themed. The bed, the three soft chairs and the small table in between them, the nightstands on each side of the bed, the curtains. There were pictures of birds and high towers on the walls. The pirate located his shoes, socks and hat. He got dressed and decided not to wait for Ran. The girl seemed to be acting strange. He should give her some space. She was used to being alone on her trips, after all.

"I'm heading to Gator's place!" Ace yelled in the direction of the bathroom and left.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran got out of the shower. She dried herself with a towel and put her clothes back on. The pilot then wrapped her hair in a turban. She sighed. The pilot had a problem. She didn't want to leave. She enjoyed travelling with Ace. Sure, he was very annoying and distracting, but he was also fun. She liked talking to someone during the long flights. She also liked Ace's impulsive behavior. He wasn't one to think twice about the danger. He was reckless and fiery and amusing. But she needed to leave. Soon.

Ran exited the bathroom. The pirate was gone. Probably went to get his tattoo finished. She but her belts, socks and shoes back on. Ran automatically checked all the pouches and keys. She had a habit of seeing if they are in their place. She towel dried her hair and pulled it up with chopsticks. It would be pretty and wavy later. She smiled and left the room, locking it behind her.

"I'm checking out." She placed the keys on the reception desk. "Bye." She waved a bit at the receptionist from last night and walked out of the hotel, grinning. She had made a decision.

~~~~pb~~~~

Gator finished Ace's tattoo in record time. He smiled at his handiwork and looked at the kid. The pirate was asleep. The artist snickered and treated the tattoo properly, putting a bandage over it in the end. It was a good tattoo. Huge. Then again, the kid had come, without any ideas of how he wanted the tattoo done, just that he wanted it on his back. With everything up to him, Gator made it a masterpiece. He was proud of it.

He looked at the sleeping kid once again. He remembered the first article he had read about the teenager. The artist was amazed at the damage the pirate had done. Seriously, who levels an entire town by accident? Gator had started looking forward to more mischief that the young pirate would cause. He even paid for the newspaper delivery. Those birds were getting ridiculously expensive these days. Gator had to admit, he still had the first wanted poster taped on his wall. Somewhere under all the graffiti, that is.

When Leo had come for his new tattoo a few months back Gator had told the curious pirate all about the rookie. Needless to say, that influenced Leo's decision to mentor the addition to the crew. Gator was glad that Ace had joined the Whitebeard Pirates. Gator had a lot of pirate customers come for tattoos. Out of all those, he liked only few of them, Whitebeard included. They were polite. Well, as polite as pirates could get. And they paid. Which was also rare for pirates.

"Was I asleep for long?" Gator saw the young man rise from his bed. The pirate looked dazed.

"Not too long, kid." Gator sat down. Ace nodded. "I finished your stuff. I must say, that's some of my best work on your back. Want to take a look?"

"Yes, please!" Gator stood to get a mirror, a bit surprised at how polite Ace was. When he came back, the excited pirate was already taking the bandages off of his back. Gator smiled. He liked this kid even better in person. The newspaper, of course, only gives you bits and pieces.

"Here you go. Stand there." He positioned Ace between two mirrors. "There, look." The pirate could see the reflection of his tattoo through the mirrors. It was amazing. Ace felt a grin make its way onto his face. The purple face and crossed bones with a signature mustache stretched all the way down his back. He absolutely loved it. "On the upside, if your narcolepsy gets you unexpectedly, no one will dare mug you."

Ace turned to Gator with a huge smile on his face. He gave the artist a fine, ninety degree angle bow. When the pirate rose back up, Gator was grinning. "I like you, kid. Why don't you sign my wanted poster?" Ace seemed surprised at the request. "What? No one's asked you before?"

"No." The pirate answered, blushing slightly.

"Great. Then I'll be your first. Give me a second. I have that new poster somewhere. You wrap that thing back up while I search." With that the bald man left with a giant smile on his face. Ace put the protection back on his new body art. Gator truly was amazing. He was glad that he had taken Leo's advice. The man came back in a few and handed him a wanted poster and a pen. Fire Fist Ace it said. The pirate smiled and signed his wanted poster. He laughed as Gator put it up on the painted wall next to some other signed posters.

Ace suddenly had an idea. "Hey, Gator, do you know anything about the Torentes?" The tattoo artist gave him a long look.

"There's been some trouble there. But I don't know much." The artist replied. He saw disappointment on Ace's face. "But you should go to Shakky's Rip-off Bar on grove 13. Tell her that Alligator sent you."

"Thanks!" The pirate exclaimed. "How much for the tattoo, Gator?" Ace shivered when the artist got an evil glint in his eye.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Stop laughing!" Ace complained. Ran was laughing her ass off at him. Gator had charged him a lot for the tattoo. The man loved his work. He was a pro, so Ace understood. The pilot, though, found it hilarious. She had come into the parlor just in time to see the pirate emptying his pockets. Gator had, then, tried to convince Ran to get her own tattoo. The debate continued for a while. The girl was adamant that she needed a good reason to put a permanent thing onto her skin.

"Sorry, your face, tough!" Ran wiped a tear away. "I'll stop now." She snickered again. Ace glared at her. "You really didn't want to give him all that money! Hahahahaha!" And she started laughing again. Ace punched her shoulder lightly. They had left the Gator's parlor a while ago. Ace had picked up his bag from the Sparrow's storage and now they were on their way to the Shakky's Rip-off Bar.

Grove 13 was close to where they were, so the walk was rather short. The duo climbed the stairs, chatting comfortably. Neither of them was mentioning the slight tension from that morning. Ran had put it behind her, and Ace wasn't really sure what to think of it. Both were content to forget it and have fun while they were still together.

Ace pushed the door to the establishment open and the two friends entered.

**That's all for today!**

**I was toying with the idea of Ace meeting Rayleigh and decided to put a spin in the story. I think that Ray-san would like to meet the son of his former Captain. Besides, I don't think that there's any mention of the two meeting or not meeting, but if there is, sorry, but I'm going to freestyle the next chapter.**


	7. Strong

**Welcome, ladies and gents!**

**For some reason, this story has been on fire! I actually wrote most of this chapter on my phone (silly Iphone notes app) in between two meetings xD**

**I would like to thank my new followers! icegoddess52 and Kate Bing, welcome and enjoy! **

**Give me your thoughts guys? Do you like this? Hate it? Do you hate Ran? I miss Leo… Maybe I'll put him in the next chapter... He's a fun character… I had a blast writing Ace in this chapter, btw, he's so badass!**

**Anyways, enough from me, I give you**

**Chapter 7: Strong – Miyavi vs Kreva (This track is sick, if you don't know it, check it out :3)**

The Shakky's Rip Off Bar was a shabby place. It was rather empty with only four people inside, not including Ace and Ran. Two shady looking men drinking in the corner, a tall woman that was smoking behind the bar and an old man, sitting hunched on a bar stool. The two entered, and exchanged a questioning glance. Ace nodded encouragingly and lead the pilot to the bar. He sat on a stool, dropping his bag to the floor, his back completely open to the world. Ran followed her companion's lead bravely, noting the two men in the corner eyeing the pirate. She thanked the Storm Thief that Ace had been reasonable and had worn his shirt over his wrapped tattoo. Ran didn't like the pale yellow shirt, but at least it was a shirt. Flashing Whitebeard's tattoo around here wasn't a good idea. It was like saying 'come and get me' to all the bounty hunters on the Archipelago. Not that his status as Fire Fist Ace wasn't a big sign already.

"Welcome. What can I do for you two?" The woman asked them. Ace grinned and ordered two beers. Ran complained and said that she would prefer lemonade. This apparently amused the bartender. She prepared their drinks and then leaned onto the counter in front of the two teens.

"What can I do for you, Fire Fist Ace?" Ran tensed. This could end badly. Ace, on the other hand, laughed.

"I guess I'm pretty famous!" The pirate laughed again. The bartender smiled. "Gator sent me here for information." Ace clarified. The woman pulled in a long breath through her cigarette. She released the smoke slowly into the air.

"Gator, eh?" She smirked. "What would you like to know?" Ran suddenly felt chills go through her body.

"Portgas D. Ace! We'll be taking your bounty!" The two men in the corner had stood up and they were advancing, their weapons glinting. Ran felt her body move unconsciously away from the danger and towards the wooden bar. Ace ignored them.

"Anything about Torentes would be really helpful, really." The bartender looked even more amused at the lack of exchange between the pirate and the bounty hunters.

"Prepare to die!" The two men jumped forward, weapons drawn. The bartender moved back to avoid the mess. Ran jumped from her stool and to the side. The old man sitting quietly reached out to steady her with an unusually strong arm. The pilot thanked him politely. He gave her a small nod.

Ace didn't move. The sword and bullets passed through his body, leaving a fire trail where the cut and holes should've appeared. He turned in his seat calmly, smirking. The two bounty hunters moved back in fear. They found their courage once again and ran at the Logia in another attempt. Ace pushed his hat up slightly with his finger, to see better. His smile was huge by now.

"Hiken!" The burst of flame sent his attackers flying through the bar door and down the long stairs. The bartender came from behind the bar. She walked towards the charred doorway and inspected it.

"That was really unnecessary, you know?" She told the pirate. Then she fixed him with her eyes. Ran could swear she saw Ace gulp. "You are going to pay for the damages, Fire Fist-chan?" It wasn't a question. Even though it sounded like one, it really wasn't.

"Of course." Ace replied quickly, jumping up and quickly bowing in apology. He sat back on his stool as the bartender walked back behind the counter. She extinguished her cigarette, her eyes not leaving Ace's.

"I'm Shakky, the owner of this bar. What I tell you next, you didn't hear from me." The woman lit another cigarette. "The Torentes Islands have been a mess, even though they are Whitebeard territory. You are with the Yonko, right? Second division, was it?" She smiled smugly at the young pirate.

"Yes." Ace confirmed. The woman was well informed. Ran slurped some of her lemonade. It was good. Ace noted that she was sitting again.

"The pirates that have isolated the island and are now controlling the trade there are the Hollow Skull Pirate crew. Their Captain has a bounty of 80 million beli. Mostly for murder of and destruction of property. He likes bombs a tad too much." Shakky stopped to gage the pirate's reaction to the information. Ace didn't look too surprised.

"I knew most of that before I even came here. Looks like you have nothing that can help me." Ace started digging through his bag for money. He placed the proper amount for both his and Ran's drinks on the counter and stood, ready to leave. "Let's go, Ranmao." Shakky laughed.

"I can see why Whitebeard recruited you. All of his sons have that cheekiness." She paused slightly. " Sit." She ordered. Ace complied, smirking. Shakky lit another cigarette. "The Captain of the Hollow Skull has connections in the Marines. A corrupt Captain has been dealing with the pirate group. They have quite a structure there. You name it, they do it. Slavery, money, assassination etc. Are you sure that you want to go after them?" Ran could feel the tension in the air. She didn't want to hear anything else. She couldn't even think about it. The pilot had stumbled on a human auction on the Archipelago once. Those pirates were helping send innocent people there. They were monsters.

On the Archipelago, knowing was like putting a target on your back. And talking about that knowing, that was like making said target glow. Slavery was normal. Anyone could become a slave. There were no laws that protected you. Debt could get you sold. But, so could just walking in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was one of the reasons why Ran never stayed on the Archipelago for too long. As beautiful as it was, the makeshift island was rotten on the inside. The pilot was glad that she wasn't well known and that she hadn't seen a Tenryuubito in person. They scared the crap out of her. There weren't any Tenryuubito in the sky. The royalty of the Sky Islands weren't nearly as cruel as the royalty of the Blue Seas.

"Do you know that Captain's name?" Ace wasn't backing down. He was serious. Ran could feel the heat that he was letting off unconsciously. Shakky sighed softly.

"Nathaniel Fish." She finally said. "That man is one nasty piece of work." Shakky exhaled the smoke from her lungs. "Even if you take down the Skull Pirates, I'm not sure that you can take Fish down. He is very well connected." Ace suddenly stood again.

"I am very thankful for the information, Shakky-san. I won't forget this." He gave her a bow. This kind of information was dangerous. She was sticking her neck out for him. The only thing left for Ace to do was to make sure no one traced the details back to Shakky.

"As far as I'm concerned, I never told you anything. I will deny ever seeing you." By the way the woman was smiling, Ace knew. She had been a pirate. Only pirates had that kind of a smile. The right, dreamer kind of pirates.

"I'll go fry his ass." Ace told her cockily and walked towards the burnt exit, bag on his shoulder. Ran followed him, giving the old man and Shakky a small wave and a smile.

"And don't think your silver tongue will make me forget about the money for the damages."

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran laughed as Ace walked beside her, sulking. Shakky had ripped him off alright. She took money for the damage and for the information. That, of course, made Ace slightly depressed. He was considering living in a corner of the world and growing mushrooms. Little depressed mushrooms. At least they wouldn't take this money. Ace wasn't used to paying for things. Usually he just dashed away. Especially for the food expenses. He loved the dine and dash routine.

By now, Ace was starting to be glad that he hadn't stopped for longer than the few days that it took to coat a ship last time. Besides, he hadn't been on the Archipelago back then. He had been doing some last minute shopping, using with his favorite way of travel – Marine ships. They were convenient. Besides, Ace thought that he made a great Marine. The people on the Sabaody all wanted an outrageous amount of money for everything. First Gator, now Shakky. He was going to be broke in a few days if this continued.

"-ce? Ace? Hey, are you listening to me?" Ran was standing in front of the pirate now, successfully getting his attention.

"Mushrooms." He told the girl. She looked very confused. "Money." He said. "I can't believe you don't get that!" Ace laughed at her, teasing. He walked around the petrified Ran and continued on, laughing at her steaming brain.

"Wait, Ace! Wait! What mushrooms?" She ran after him.

~~~~pb~~~~

"So, what do you think, Ray-san?" Shakky asked, sitting next to the old man. He took a sip of his drink and then gave her a smile.

"He certainly looks like Roger. But he got those freckles from Rouge." The former pirate laughed, remembering his former Captain and the beautiful woman. She had been quite a woman, Portgas D. Rouge.

"I like him." Shakky said, pouring herself a drink, too.

"I noticed." The Rayleigh told her. "He turned out fine. His father would be proud."

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace and Ran spent the rest of the day having fun. The young pirate had reported to Marco over the pilot's Den Den Mushi. He hadn't gotten his own yet. Then he left the Commander to discuss with the Captain and Vista what they were going to do about Fish and the Hollow Skull Pirates. Ace still had no say in it.

This resulted in the two friends celebrating their last day together. First they drank a lot. As in, they went from bar to bar. Next they figured that the Amusement Park would be a great idea. Ran was still teasing Ace about falling asleep on the roller coaster. The check-in guy on the bottom had been shocked when the pilot dragged the out cold pirate out of the ride. They ate different foods, which delighted Ace, and tried some more drinks, most of them alcoholic. Ran had forgotten all about her medicine at that point. She had given up. When she left the partying pirate behind, then she would drink her medicine properly. This declaration caused Ace to spin her around and order more drinks.

The two stumbled, leaning onto each other. They were heading for a random hotel. The problem was the long walk. The hotels were on the opposite side from the Amusement Park. Somewhere in the middle of their journey Ace had a narcolepsy moment and Ran sat down to wait it out. This, of course, resulted in neither of them getting up.

The girl was sitting on the sticky grass, not even noticing the soapy layer soaking her shorts. Ace's head was on her lap, his annoyingly orange hat comfortably on her head. The pilot sat, her drunken mind fascinated with the rising bubbles. They formed and then went up. They were pretty. Each bubble was full of soap, making it shine in different lights, colors and hues. It was beautiful. The constantly moving colors were enchanting. She didn't know how long she sat there, drinking rum and watching the bubbles go up and pop, the sleeping pirate comfortable on her lap.

At some point Ace awoke. His soft groan cut through the muffled sounds from the distant amusement park and the noise each bubble made when it formed. Ran looked down at her friend. He smiled back at her and reached for the rum wordlessly.

"This is familiar." He finally said, the crooked smile still on his face. True, it was very familiar. Ace and Ran had gotten to know each other so much better since that night. The two had shared many moments together. They had discussed a lot. A wide array of topics, from different fetishes to family problems. It was strange to both of them, since neither was accustomed to trusting easily. Maybe that's way why they got each other so well? Neither thought about that. Ace liked to enjoy the moment. Ran liked to fill the silence when she wasn't feeling the pull of the ocean.

Ace placed the empty bottle of rum away and caught Ran's eyes again with his. His hand came up to the back of her head. She didn't wait for him to pull her down this time. The pilot bent, catching his lips with hers. The taste of rum was familiar, just like the fire. She liked kissing Ace. He knew what to do with his tongue, unlike most guys. She could tell that he wasn't too experienced, but she didn't mind. Ran broke the long kiss into a few little ones, enjoying the heat that he gave off. The hand on the back of her head tightened its hold. She could feel Ace's fingers tangling in her hair, messing up her bun and leaving hot trails where they brushed against her scalp. Ran gasped lightly at the sensation. The pirate swallowed her sigh and took the opportunity to deepen the kiss from his end. Ran moved her hands to his hair, gently combing through the messy locks. Ace's hand got tangled in his hat and her hair and she pulled back from the kiss, snickering. The blushing pirate pouted, face going even redder. Ran untangled his hand and let her hair hang down, hat on her head and chopsticks in their pouch. Ace continued to play with her chocolate locks.

"This was a goodbye kiss, Ace." She told him softy. There was so much in his eyes. Longing, lingering passion, sadness... Ran gave him a soft smile. "The next time you kiss me will be when you don't blush like that after it, alright?" She told the young man, fingers still going through his hair. Ace chuckled and nodded.

"Why are you like this?" He asked. Ran frowned in confusion. "The way you take kissing and other intimate stuff. Why?"

Ran raised an eyebrow. "You mean sexual stuff?" Ace's face couldn't go any redder. "I'm not sure. It's never been an embarrassing topic in my family. With my cousins being older than me nothing was PG rated." Ran smiled, head tilting back to look to the skies. She didn't talk about her family often. She wasn't used to it. "Kisses are like greetings. You can tell more about a person after kissing them."

"I'm honored then." Ace slurred. "Wait, does that mean that you've kissed girls, too?" His eyes were curious, almost ecstatic. Ran shook her head. Men and their fascination with women being with other women.

"Gender doesn't really matter. If I want to kiss them, I will." Ace started laughing then, his hand had gone down to Ran's back. "When I find an attractive person I feel a certain pull to them. It doesn't have to be physical, but it can be. Gods, this doesn't make sense. Too much rum to talk about serious stuff like this."

"Mmmmm." Was Ace's response. They sat in comfortable silence for a while. "Shouldn't we get a room somewhere or something?" The pirate asked suddenly.

"Sure. Let's go." Ace jumped up, his motions a bit sluggish. He smiled and offered Ran his hand.

"My lady?" The pirate joked. Ran laughed and caught his hand, allowing him to pull her up and hug her close. She welcomed the heat that he radiated. She could feel the wet patches on both of their clothes drying because of the Devil Fruit ability.

"Good sir." Ran whispered to Ace gently.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke up to the sound of Ace's voice. The pirate was using her Den Den Mushi again, talking to Marco it seemed. They had made it to the closest hotel last night and rented a random room. It wasn't as good as the Sky Suite, but neither had cared. The bed was big enough for both of them to get some sleep, and that was enough.

"I understand. I'll check in before I go in, then."

Kacha.

Ran sat up slightly, locating the pirate's back. He was sitting at the edge of the bed, facing away from the pilot. He had unwrapped his tattoo. The purple mark that stretched along the tan, slightly irritated skin was truly magnificent. Ran sat up fully and crawled over to the pirate. He knew that she was awake, but he was ignoring her, letting her do what she wanted. Ran placed one calloused fingertip on his back and lightly dragged it over the skin. From top to the bottom of the tattoo. She felt him shiver.

"I'm going to get you a Den Den Mushi, you know? So that you can stop stealing mine." Ran told him, making him chuckle. "It looks great, by the way." She said, referring to the tattoo. Ace turned to her.

"I need to go." He said. Ran noted that his face looked grim. "You can't come with me, Ranmao." He was still looking at her with a serious expression.

"I wasn't planning to, Ace." She replied, smiling. "I'm leaving for Grand Line in a few hours." Ace nodded to her. He had grown fond of the girl. He would miss the charismatic pilot. "Let's get going then." The pilot jumped up and started getting ready. She took one of the pain pills, hoping that it would calm her hangover. Ace seemed fine. She envied him.

The two left the hotel and headed towards Gator's parlor. Ace was aiming for grove 1 and Ran needed to pick up the Sparrow. She had a little skip in her step. She couldn't wait to get up in the air. Alone. She couldn't wait to go as far up as she wanted. She couldn't wait to hear the wind rushing. She couldn't wait to feel her heart speed up and her stomach clench in anticipation. She couldn't wait to feel that beautiful weightlessness before going faster. She couldn't wait. Even though Ran couldn't see or hear the open seas from the inside of the Archipelago, she could feel the pull of it. The Seas were calling. Who was she to turn a deaf ear?

Ace watched Ran. He pushed his next 'mission' to the back of his mind and focused on the girl. He could see the way her smile widened, her walk got a bit faster and her eyes glinted. She looked like a child before opening presents. She seemed ecstatic. So purely happy. And for such a small thing. Ran truly was fascinating.

The pirate wondered briefly whether he had something like that. Something he loved so much. The Whitebeard Pirates came to mind, unconsciously. He grinned. True, even though he was a new member, he had become attached to the group of insane and quirky pirates very fast. Maybe, in the future, he could love them the way Ran loved the wind and the sky. He belonged there, just like she belonged up in the air. He was proud of the mark on his back. The masterpiece had quickly become his precious treasure. It signified that he belonged to an important family.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran pulled the black sheet off the Sparrow. She was folding it when Ace and Gator joined her. The tattoo artist had checked on the pirate's mark one last time. The irritated skin was healing nicely. Gator said that the itching would stop in the next few days, but that Ace should keep it covered for a while.

"Your bird was safe here." Gator remarked.

"Just like you said it would be." The girl smiled at him. "Who knows, maybe I'll leave it here next time, too."

"Only if you come get a tattoo." The artist joked. Ran went up to the bald man and shook his hand. She walked over to Ace then and hugged the young pirate tightly. He rubbed her back in comfort.

"I'll miss you, you crazy pirate." She murmured into his neck. Ace squeezed her a bit harder.

"You aren't the only one." He let her go. "I mean, who else will I discuss S&M with?" The two laughed. Gator gave them a weird look.

"Don't get yourself killed, please. I'll be waiting for that no-blushing kiss." She smirked and pulled her goggles down. Ran jumped onto the Sparrow and with a burst of air, she was flying away. Gator and Ace stood still, watching the glider vanish into distance. The artist turned to the raven, smiling.

"You caught a good one, kid. Don't let her fly away, now." He tapped Ace on the shoulder, laughing at his red face.

"Ran and I, err- we- We're just friends, you know." Gator nodded, smile still on his face and headed back to his parlor.

"No, really! Hey, Gator! Wait!" Ace ran after the, now laughing, artist.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace walked towards the Auction House. He had gotten all the information he needed on the way. The young pirate had stopped at a Den Den Mushi store and bought a snail. Ran had insisted on giving him money for it, since she couldn't be there to choose it for him. He had humored her. The raven called the First Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Kacha.

"Ace, is that you, yoi?" The phoenix spoke.

"Checking in. I'm off." He didn't wait for the answer. He stored the snail in his bag and headed towards the nearby structure.

The building was round and tall. It was decorated gaudily. Ace knew it was all for show. The Tenryuubito loved shiny things, after all. He entered the structure, on high alert. This was enemy territory. The men that were present were dressed strangely, but Ace could tell. Each and every one of them was armed. Tough crowd, he thought. He located his target fast. Disco stood out from his lackeys. He seemed wary of Ace. He should be, Ace thought.

"Fire Fist Ace." Disco greeted. His voice clearly said that he was afraid of the young pirate. Ace smirked.

"Disco." The raven retorted. He held no respect for the man. He was rather disgusted by him actually. Human trafficking. Those words were enough for Ace to see red. He pushed the rage back. He had to do this right.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" The Auction owner continued, legs trembling. He knew this pirate's reputation well. Even though he wasn't a Captain anymore, Fire Fist was trouble. He was a dangerous man. As strong as a Shichibukai.

"Can we talk somewhere more private?" Ace asked. Disco whimpered and led the pirate to his office behind the stage.

Unlike the huge room Ace had first been in, the office was less gaudy. While the stage and the seats were made to accommodate the rich and powerful bidders, the office wasn't. It had a couple of bookcases and a desk, all buried in papers. Disco, apparently, wasn't a good bookkeeper. The Auction owner cleared a chair for Ace and moved out of the way in small bows.

"Please, take a seat." Ace was impressed. He sat down, enjoying the comfortable chair. His reputation preceded him. Sometimes, it was a good thing.

"I'm in a bit of a predicament, Disco." Ace began.

"How so, Fire Fist?" The Auction owner was sitting behind his desk now, but he wasn't still. His fingers were nervously tapping the chair arm.

"I find myself without a crew. I've heard that you have connections with a very interesting one." Disco was sweating under Ace's gaze. The Auction owner was hoping that the pirate didn't mean the Joker and his crew. He had recently started dealing with Joker. A crazy pirate like Ace getting involved would be a problem.

"I don't know who you mean, Fire Fist. I know a lot of people." Disco pretended to be oblivious. That was the best way out of this situation. Ace laughed. It was a loud, full belly laugh. It made Disco go pale.

"Don't fuck with me, Disco." The man in question flinched at the cuss word. "You know exactly who I mean."

The Auction owner stayed silent. Ace continued.

"I want to join the Hollow Skull Pirates."

**Damdamdamdaaaaaam~**

**Man! This was such a fun chapter to write! This is how I imagine Ace doing his work heheheheheee~ Dangerous :D **

**I look forward to hearing from you guys! **


	8. The Beginning

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**I give you my favorite chapter until now! First, let me thank my new follows and my new favorites!**

**Thank you NoMoon98 for following and FraulineTraumer and NoMoon98 for faving! **

**This was definitely one of my favorite chapters to write, even though I suck at fighting scenes XD I look forward to your reviews guys :D **

**Otaku-chan, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I made sure to include some Ace dorkiness, I hope it is nicely unexpected ;)**

**Chapter 8: The Beginning – One Ok Rock**

The Sparrow glided along the current gracefully. Its pilot, Ran, was comfortably lying on top, leather strap supporting her weight. She was wearing her protective suit and using the untamed air currents. This meant that the small aircraft was high up, almost 500 meters. The air was thin there, but Ran didn't mind. Her headgear allowed her to breathe easily. Besides, Ran was from a Sky Island that floated way above 500 meters. She, of course, tended to keep this to herself when landing in the weaker seas. It was when you entered the New World that all dreams became reality. Over there Sky Islands and cities on the ocean floor were a given. On Grand Line, you were ridiculed for mentioning things like a Sky Island.

Ran looked to her Eternal Pose. She had gotten it on the Archipelago and she was set and on her way. The needle near the nose of her glider was still pointing straight ahead. She was on course. The pilot had left the Sabaody Archipelago a few days ago. She was on her way to deliver a package to a small island on Grand Line.

The pilot felt her glider tremble. She frowned slightly. She had caught a good current, and it wasn't too violent. It had steady flow and a couple of twists and turns, but nothing much. Considering Ran's skill with flying and reading currents, the Sparrow shouldn't be having problems. The bird trembled once again. Ran quickly adjusted her weight, sending the glider down. In minutes, the pilot landed on a small island that she had conveniently seen from the air.

The Sparrow sank into the grass gently and Ran jumped off. She stripped her head gear and tossed it on the ground in a hurry. She tied her hair up, the chopsticks gently jiggling. Ran unzipped the top of her suit, tying the sleeves around her waist. She rummaged through her storage and took out a toolbox. It was time to find the problem.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace leaned against the door, trying to hear the conversation inside. He had joined the Hollow Skull Pirates recently. The Captain had been intimidated by Ace and his bounty in the beginning, but he was happy to shout out to the world that Fire Fist was on his crew pretty soon. Not that he trusted Ace. He was wary of the young pirate. And with good reason, of course. Ace was putting up a fine front, though. But, the raven had decided to tell Marco that one covert operation was enough for him. He wasn't one for espionage. He preferred a head on attack.

After seeing people go into slavery, stripped of all they owned, Ace was disgusted. He couldn't wait for the Captain to actually contact the Marines so that Ace and Vista could act. He was anxious. And he was becoming restless. All those people. Sold like cattle. He didn't want to just stand still. That could've been Luffy. That could've been him. That could've been anyone. He saw how their new jailers treated the slaves. It was the worst with the girls.

Ace had quickly gained a reputation with the prisoners. He would pretend to 'reserve' a girl for the night and then just sit with her in her cell. If he could even protect one person at a time, that was enough for him. He wished that Vista would hurry up and provoke the Captain already. He wished that he could punch the daylights out of the Hollow Skull Pirates already. His rage was fiery.

This rage and recklessness is what brought him to this moment. He had been assigned to cleaning duty. This meant that he was mopping the corridors when he saw the Captain and his first mate going to the Captain's quarters together. Ace had quickly glued his ear to the door, in attempt to hear something. Anything would do.

"The 5th Commander is attacking again?" A voice gruff said.

"His men are attacking one of the smaller vessels, Captain." Another spoke. "They aren't too far away. Should I contact Fish?" A short silence ensued.

"No." The Captain finally spoke. "Let's see what he's made of. Send Fire Fist." Ace felt his breath freeze in his lungs.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran lay on the ground. She was covered in grease and soot from the glider. She could smell the slight burning of the wires she had just changed. She could feel the twinge in her muscles from the strength she used to turn the wrench. But what bothered her most was the rust that she could feel on her fingertips. She had brushed her hands a million times, but she could still feel it. She didn't want to believe it at first. The metal that was used to build her glider was top notch. She had rubbed the antirust layer onto it herself. She had been careful. This shouldn't be happening.

Ran watched the skies. The gray clouds were slowly moving downwind. The current there was probably smooth. Slightly cool with maybe a few twists and turns that she could do tricks on. She used the wind like the surfers used waves. She loved every minute of it.

Ran could feel corners of her eyes stinging. She felt her breath hitch. Salty drops glided slowly down her cheeks. Ran raised her hand and put it over her eyes, welcoming the dark and cried. She couldn't bear to look at the skies now. She couldn't. Because then, she would read the currents. And when she read them, she would want to try them. She would want to get up and fly there. Free in the wind. She wouldn't fly anymore. She couldn't.

The Sparrow was dying.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran didn't know how much time she spent crying on the deserted island. At some point she stood up and took a scraping tool. She scraped the rust off as much as she could. She felt numb. She felt dead. Her hands were moving on autopilot. Ran briefly realized that she was crying again at some point, but she kept scraping. Her hands slipped a couple of times and she cut herself. But she didn't care. She needed to clear her head.

The pilot stripped almost everything. She walked down the grassy plain and towards the rocky shore barefoot, only in her shorts and top. She looked at the breaking waves. They were navy yet their caps were white. They were both dark and light. Both good and bad. Both sad and happy. She could feel the pull of the ocean again. And she didn't resist, even though she didn't have wings to answer the call this time. She ran forward and jumped off the cliff. She felt the air rushing past her. She felt the small, cold drops on her skin. But she didn't have the wings to fly up this time. She crashed into the waves, the dark and cold enveloping her.

Ran didn't open her eyes at first. She just let the cold and merciless ocean slam her around. She let the chill of the waves seep into her bones. And she felt her mind clear beautifully. Between the adrenaline rush of the fall and the cool of the sea, Ran's mind became empty. And then it flooded with information. She could remember. She could remember well. Everything about the mechanics and the engineering that she had ever learned before. She remembered her first glider. Her mind overflowed with details, drawings, materials and Ran kicked.

She took a deep breath, her head breaking the surface. She felt the warm rays of sun on her icy skin. Ran looked up. The stormy clouds had cleared. Ran grinned and swam towards the shore. She knew what to do.

Ran got to the Sparrow quickly. She secured her hair with chopsticks and started reassembling the glider. She still had some time. She had scraped the rust off nicely. Now she needed to finish her job. Then she would head to her home island, Arcadia. After all, that was the only place where the technology she needed existed.

Once she was done reassembling Ran suited up. The pilot jumped onto the Sparrow. She stepped on the hidden paddle and the burst of air sent the bird and its rider upwards. Ran didn't allow the Sparrow to glide. She couldn't risk it. She caught the driest air current that she could and avoided clouds. If the metal was rusting, that meant that the protective layer had peeled off. As long as she was careful, she could slow the rust down enough to finish the job and then head upwards.

The pilot leveled out her glider and stepped once again on the paddle, giving herself a boost.

~~~~pb~~~~

Kacha.

Ace finished his conversation with Marco. He had told the First Commander about the Hollow Skull Pirates plan to send him in, instead of calling the Marines. This, of course, thwarted Whitebeard's plan to catch Fish along with the human trafficking crew. But, the first mate had quickly made a decision. Ace was to get as many crew members of the Hollow Skull crew as close as possible to the 5th division's vessel. Then, they were to abolish the enemy. Now this plan Ace liked. A lot.

"Fire Fist!" A pirate knocked on Ace's door and entered without waiting for an answer. Even though Ace was a new member of the Hollow Skull Pirates, he was a man of status. The Captain had given him individual quarters. The disgusting man really wanted Ace's favor. Too bad.

"Yes?" Ace replied.

"Captain has decided to give you an opportunity to fight one of Whitebeard's. You're to sink the 5th Commander's vessel." The pirate informed the raven.

"I'll need some backup." The raven replied, a pensive look on his face. The pirate snorted.

"You'll have to talk to Captain about that." With that, the messenger left. Ace caught him saying 'loser' on the way out. The raven grit his teeth. True, he had lost to Whitebeard, but he wasn't ashamed of that. That loss made him a better man. He was proud to be a Whitebeard Pirate, Ace realized. He smirked. It was time to fry some human trafficking asses.

~~~~pb~~~~

Vista's vessel calmly rocked on the small waves. They had fired off a couple of warning shots, on Marco's orders, to get the Hollow Skull Pirates attention. The enemy crew had, of course, retaliated. First, they fired back a few shots, but then they retreated further into their territory. Vista didn't follow. He ordered his men to be ready, but to keep their position. He wanted them to come to him. If that new kid, Ace, was going to help, Vista needed to be in the perfect position.

"Commander Vista! Look!" One of his men called. The swordsman walked from the stern to the main deck. He could see the incoming ships. Vista counted at least four vessels. As they came closer, he could make out the figureheads. He knew two out of four. Not all of the ships were coming. That new kid didn't do his job well. At least the Marines weren't going to join the fray this time.

"Hard to port! Ready the cannons!" Vista yelled. He was going to sink those human trafficking pirates. There were different levels of low. These pirates were one of the lowest in Vista's book.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace stood near the bow. He could see Vista's ship now. It was a rather small vessel, tiny compared to the Moby Dick. However, it probably had over 10 cannons. He would need to be quick. There was no one to jump into the sea after him in the middle of a battle.

"Ready?" The Captain of the Hollow Skull asked. Ace turned to him with a smirk.

"Always." Ace had secured his backpack earlier. He wouldn't want his favorite bag to go down with the ship. The raven looked back to Vista's vessel. He could see the cannons at the ready now. The sea was silent. Like the calm before a storm. The sun was up high, mercilessly shining on the anxious pirates. The air was thick with heat, but that didn't bother Ace. Even before eating his Devil Fruit, he hadn't minded the heat. He could see the Whitebeard Pirates clearly now. He knew quite a few of their faces. Ace smirked, still waiting. He could see the Captain of the Hollow Skull fidgeting. One more still moment passed and then a shout rang out through the hot air.

"Fire!" And the insanity began. Ace turned in a second and aimed a precise punch towards the Captain of the Hollow Skull Pirates. The man was shocked, but he attempted to defend his vitals. Ace, however, wasn't aiming for the organs. He jumped away from the still shocked pirate, a small Den Den Mushi secured. Now that the Hollow Skull couldn't call their Marine backup, everyone could let loose. Ace was grinning like an idiot with joy. He was finally going to kick some ass.

"What the hell, Fire Fist?" The Captain yelled attacking. Ace smirked, blocking and evading. He shot a column of fire at the enemy pirate. The Captain of the Hollow Skull fell back and rolled around on the deck, putting the raging flames out.

"You are the scum of pirates! As if I'd ever join you!" Ace retorted. "I was waiting for the perfect moment to retaliate." Ace smirked, walking forward. "I was waiting for you to be unable to call on your big Marine backup to fry you." He walked towards the now retreating Captain. "I was waiting to help my family protect their territory." And with that Ace pulled off his shirt swiftly, turning a bit so that the tattoo on his back would finally be visible. The Captain of the Hollow Skull gasped.

"You- you joined Whitebeard! You joined the man that beat you!" The Captain hit the wall, unable to move away from Ace. "Why?!"

"To roam the seas wild and free with Pops name on my back!" With that Ace flew forward, fist on fire. The enemy Captain evaded, rolling away. Ace turned to follow him, intent on setting his ass on fire. Then he felt that feeling of his focus slipping and cursed in his mind. The last thing he saw was Vista kicking the Hollow Skull Captain into the sea. With a mental whoop of joy, Ace fell onto the deck, currently battlefield, asleep.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran finished her delivery quickly. Her mind was still in jumbles. She exchanged pleasantries, gave the cargo and accepted the payment. She declined the tea and the warm bed, and thanked the woman politely. Gosh, Ace had rubbed off on her. Ran took off less than an hour after landing. She took some extra time to re-stock, check on the Sparrow and suit up. She didn't know if she would be able to find the Sky Island right away. And she didn't want to pass through the White Sea twice or more.

The pilot caught a strong current swiftly and went upwards. She used her secret paddle a few times to propel the Sparrow further up. She felt her ears pop at a couple of thousand meters, but she kept going. The Sparrow trembled a few times, protesting the fast paced trip. The glider was built for casual travel and light cargo. Ran had pushed it a lot today. The pilot finally saw the White Sea and she stepped on the paddle one last time. She had spent the whole tank. The metal bird screeched as it went through the watery clouds. And finally, first its nose, then body and finally the long tail, the Sparrow wasn't sailing the Blue Seas anymore. Ran was in familiar territory.

She left the strong air currents and let her glider slowly settle onto the watery clouds. It was necessary. The pilot unhooked the Eternal Pose from the nose of her glider and dropped it into storage. She could sell it later, or take it apart for parts. She took out a small contraption deep from her storage. It looked like a golden compass. It was comfortably heavy in her hand. She opened it and spun the hand carefully to the tiny, detailed picture of an island. She pressed a small button on top of the compass and waited again. She had missed this little thing. There were numerous pictures around the edge of the compass, all drawn in small gold and black designs. She could see a bit of the gears of the mechanism behind the white front. The contraption reminded her of a large pocket watch.

The hand stopped suddenly, pointing in one direction, West. Ran put the golden contraption into her pouch, under the bulky suit. She would need it soon, after all. She slammed the storage shut and got up. This led her to her current problem. She had nothing to propel herself with. Oh well. Time to improvise. One of her friends had given her a rather handy, but painful thing last time. An Impact Dial from another Sky Island. They were rather stunted in the technology department, but their Dials were a real sensation at one time back on Ran's island. She located the small shell quickly and jumped into the water. Ran gripped the underside bars of the glider with one hand and used the Impact Dial with the other.

She felt pain sear through her already sprained wrist, and she cursed mentally. She had treated it carefully until now. Her back hit the belly of the Sparrow painfully, metal bruising her flesh. However, when Ran opened her eyes, she was in the air. The Sparrow was gently gliding. Using only one arm, the pilot made some rather impressive, ridiculous looking and clumsy, movements to get herself back on top of the vessel. She adjusted the heading right away. They were going West. They were going back to her home island.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace opened his eyes, snapping back into the reality. The first thing he noticed was the silence. Obviously, he had been asleep for a while. Considering the amount of sleep he had gotten in the Hollow Skull Pirate ship, it didn't come as a surprise. He looked around, finding himself in a hammock, in the empty room. By the soft rocking, he was on a ship. Ace jumped out of the hammock. He saw his backpack lying on the ground. He didn't recognize the ship. He needed to know which vessel he was on. Or more like, whose. He doubted that the Hollow Skull could've won that battle.

Ace headed outside. As soon as he left the room, he heard muffled sounds of chatter and song. A party was somewhere close by. Ace grinned happily and hurried towards the deck. As soon as he exited, he saw that it was already nighttime. He had slept for quite a while. Then he saw all the singing and drinking pirates. This was Vista's ship, he realized.

"Good morning, new kid." A deep voice said behind Ace. He whirled around only to see the Fifth Commander himself.

"Good morning." Ace said politely, giving a bow on autopilot. Vista started laughing. He drank some of the alcohol from his tankard. The Commander motioned for Ace to follow and walked towards the main deck.

"You missed quite a bit of the action, newbie. But, you did a good job." Ace's smile widened. "I might join Thatches side this time during a meeting. That man thinks you're going to be a big shot." Vista handed Ace some booze and sat down, motioning for the raven to join him.

"Thanks. I wish we could've gotten the Marine Captain, too, though." Ace plopped down and gulped some booze. It wasn't too bad. "What happened while I was out? What happened to the slaves?"

"We sank all the ships that you brought. I fished you out of the mess and took you to our vessel." Vista drank some booze. A random pirate clapped Ace on the back, congratulating him on his victory. "Two more ships came after that, but they weren't a problem. Some of my guys are trying to get the rest of the Hollow Skull Pirates even now. Seems like most of them ran or swam away. The slaves were all saved. We have only minor injuries, nothing fatal. If you're looking for the prisoners, they are dancing somewhere on the deck." Ace nodded. It all turned out well. He could get Fish some other time. "Go join them, new kid. Celebrate." Ace grinned at Vista and jumped to his feet, joining the dancing pirates.

~~~~pb~~~~

It was dark by the time Ran located her home Island. From afar, Arcadia truly was a magnificent sight. On the center cloud the giant metal structure stretched, its joints creaking as it worked through the night. Thousands of little yellow lights shined, like fireflies, from the complicated design of houses, walls, ladders and balconies. Ran could almost make out the structures in the dim light. The three smaller Islands were attached by chains to the center one. There were houses and towers on those, too. Their designs were, however, much simpler.

Ran smiled slightly. She was coming back here. To Arcadia.

The girl entered the reach of the lights from the clearly awake island and the Sparrow instantly lit up in the lights of the watchmen. The giant, metal lighthouse was carefully watching all incoming flights from the mainland. Ran adjusted her course, heading there. She landed on one of the many platforms and started looking for her documents in her storage. She hadn't come here in a while, so she stopped keeping her papers in her pouch.

"Doesn't look too good, kid. You might need to toss it." The night guard inspected her vessel as he waited for her to hand over the documents. The people here knew their flying machines.

"I'll try to save it." Ran said, handing the documents over. She pretended not to care about the Sparrow. It was always good to act like you don't care here.

"It's all in order. I'll get you a tow-truck ride up. Which level?" The guard asked. He was referring to the level of the city in which she lived. There were five, ranked from larger number to smaller. On the first level was a castle for the royals and the villas for the nobles. And the wealth lessened as you went down. The fifth level were the slums for workers. But, the worst off were the smaller islands that pulled the mainland. There, even food and water was scarce.

"Third. I do not need a tow. I will fly." She told the man, icily. She couldn't help it. The guard gave her a strange look. It wasn't very normal here to see women as pilots. It was even rarer to see people build their own gliders. And it was very unusual to fly around unless you were a carrier or in need of repairs. People preferred tows.

"Have a safe flight." The guard told her, returning the paperwork. He was looking at her weirdly. Ran pulled her goggles down and pushed the Sparrow off the platform, jumping after it. She caught the bars quickly and maneuvered onto a current. The glider shot up as soon as she directed it. Ran caught the guard's shocked face as she flew away. Correction, Arcadia didn't have many skilled female pilots.

Ran swished left and right, heading towards the top of the city. She had to check in with each wall guard to be able to proceed to the upper level. She saw her family house from the air. It was slightly nostalgic, being back here. The structure was made out of metal, bricks and various paper umbrellas. The metal was mostly black, pale green, golden and brown, the bricks that were peeking from underneath and providing support were made of gray stone, while the umbrellas were a vibrant red and green. Ran circled and then landed on their personal landing platform. There were a few reasons as to why her family had built the thing. Her cousins were interested in piloting, too and most of her friends didn't have a platform to use either. Ran's uncle was a mechanic, so there were a lot of his customers flying in. In the end, they got the permit to build the platform.

Ran jumped off the Sparrow and stripped her head gear and the top of her suit. She left the goggles around her neck and tied her hair up with chopsticks while walking towards the house. There were three buildings that Ran's family owned, separate on the outside, but connected with metal and rubber bridge-like tunnels. Her aunt and uncle lived in one structure, while Ran and her parents lived in another. The middle building was used as a mechanic shop where her uncle worked and her cousins helped out. What Ran loved were the domes that each home had on top. She used to climb them with her cousins when she was younger.

"Ranmao! Welcome home!" Her mother's voice came as soon as the young pilot entered her house. Her mother always did have a sixth sense. Ran fidgeted with the headgear in her hands and headed towards the craft room.

"Hi, ma." She greeted back. "It's good to be back." Her mother was an artist. She usually worked on the top level, doing designs for the royal family or the nobles. It was rare for her to be at the house. The pilot soon saw why her mother wasn't at work. There was a giant, blood red, canvas on the floor that her mother was painting. The paper looked fragile. It was one of the hand crafted materials that was used to make the wings, domes, umbrellas and other useful things all around the city. Apparently her mother had a special order.

The woman in question was on her knees, hands and face dirty with paint. She wasn't an old woman, she was in her forties, but she looked much younger. Ran got a lot of her looks from her mother. Their hair was the same chocolate color and they were the same build. Ran got her blue eyes from her father, though.

"Honey, is everything alright?" Her mother exclaimed from her position on the floor. Her brow was furrowed and she was inspecting the young pilot for injuries.

"Yeah, ma. I just need to fix the Sparrow. I'll be staying here a while." Ran replied. She noticed the older woman's features relax visibly. Her mother gave her a gentle, loving smile.

"Of course, hun. Your uncle is busy with the new plane project, but your cousins should be able to give you a hand, dear." Her mother took up her brush again. "I'm sorry, love, I really need to finish this by tomorrow. Why don't you run along, now? And we'll talk at dinner?" Ran nodded and made herself scarce. She loved her mother, yes, but the woman was in her own world most of the time. Her cousins, on the other hand, she adored them. The two older guys were her former babysitters. They had taught her about mechanics and piloting. They had introduced her to her current obsession.

Ran climbed the stairs to her former room. It was exactly as she had left it. It had been dutifully dusted, though. The bed in the corner, the sky window in the middle of the room, the small glider and plane models, the numerous books about mechanics and engineering on the shelves, the small desk with charts and current explanations. It was all like she left it. Even the silly cloud covers of her bed. It had been two years. Two long years. Ran sighed.

"You look down." The pilot jumped a bit.

"I thought you were busy." Ran turned to her mother in the doorway. She was still covered in paint. The woman shook her head and opened her arms.

"Come here." Ran hugged her mother tightly, enjoying the embrace. She didn't even care that the woman was leaving paint all over her white protective suit. "I missed you, hun."

"Me too, ma." The two women separated, the elder wiping her eyes a little. Her daughter had grown.

"Run along now. I know you want to see those troublemakers about your bird." Ran laughed and ran downstairs. "You should come for some other reason than repairs next time!" She heard her mother yelling after her. Ran smiled to herself as she walked back to her glider. She opened the storage of the Sparrow and tossed her headgear in. She stripped her protective suit quickly and threw that in, too.

"Whoooo~ Free strip tease! Nice one, cuz!" Ran turned quickly, only to see her cousin. He was grinning wide and walking towards her. She ran and jumped on him, legs hooking around his waist as he spun her around, both laughing. He was more muscular, she noticed. Her cousin let her down slowly.

"Man! I missed you, Ran! Look at you!" The tall man gave her an onceover, his hands still on her shoulders.

"Look at you! You dyed your hair! It looks amazing!" Ran zeroed in on his sky blue hair with red highlights. Her cousin had finally gone insane. She looked him over. Dark brown, grease and soot stained pants, bulky working boots and a white wife beater top, stained from work. Her cousin towered over her, with his muscles and all. He was probably taller than Marco. On top of his eccentric hair were steampunk styled goggles. No doubt, one of his inventions. This was the younger of her two cousins, Jinhai, more commonly called Shrimp.

"Yeah, it's a little bit of rebellion, no?" He said and then froze. Ran did, too. A moment passed. Shrimp chuckled, then, very nervously. "You here for repairs?" He chose another topic quickly.

"The Sparrow is rusting." Ran whispered. Shrimp nodded slowly, pensive. "I need to repair him."

"You can't be serious, Ran. You know how tricky repairs on a rusting vessel are. You tweak one too much and boom goes the glider." Shrimp told her. It was true. Ran knew that. Once the metal starts rusting, the machine is usually sent to the junk yard. There, it is melted down and the resources can be re-used.

"It's not an it, Shrimp. It's the Sparrow, and he is my companion." Ran burst at her cousin. He raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Whoa! Whoa! Don't flame at me now, Ran! I'm just stating the obvious, cuz!" Shrimp grinned at her. "If you have an idea, I'll help you out. But don't be too optimistic, cuz." Ran gave him a quick hug.

"Awesome! I was hoping that you would say that! I'm going to need gold. And also salt, scrapers and a dozen or so limes!" The pilot's face was ecstatic. Shrimp gave her a weird look and laughed. He took her hand and dragged the pilot with him towards the market. She continued to list off ingredients that she needed. Shrimp felt excitement bubble in his chest. His cousin has always been a blast.

**That's all folks! **

**Well, we finally get to see Ran's home island! And Ran's abilities are finally starting to develop. I'm so excited! Don't worry, Ran and Ace will meet up again. **

**I hope that my way of writing, in fragments and all that, isn't getting on your nerves xD**

**I drew a few sketches of Ran and the Sparrow, I'm going to try and put it on my profile by dropbox :3**

**Ok, so a bit of info:**

**About the tattoo, I went a bit into the impossible, tattoos take a bit longer than just two days guys. But, considering that this is the anime category, I'm taking liberties.**


	9. Beweg Dein Arsch

**Welcome ladies and gentlemen! **

**I am very happy to say that I have passed some of my exams and am waiting for results for a few others! Yay me :D **

**Anyways, sorry for the wait, I was pretty busy with said exams, and I still am :( **

**So, back on track. Thank you, my new favs! ****Tater**, Lilikoikoi and LuffyGirl, welcome to the family, darlings! Also, **Tater**, gOthiCkUrOcHo69, Lilikoikoi and LuffyGirl, thank you so much for the follows!

**My favorite reviewers, Savage Kill and Otaku-chan, thanks for visiting, I'm putting my answers at the bottom! Kissed to you guys! :***

**Chapter 9: LaFee - Beweg Dein Arsch**

Ace sat on the railing of Vista's ship. His feet were hanging comfortably on the outer part of the vessel, the playful waves jumping towards his shoes. Ace stared out to the dark water, deep in thought. He loved these moments of calm before the dawn. He liked to stare out to the sea then. The sea and the sky would be dark at first. So dark that you couldn't tell them apart. But then, the first rays of sun would shine. They don't light up the sky immediately. First, you see the sky go from navy to a lighter hue of blue. Soft and serene, the air still cold from the night, the salty taste of the ocean tingling on your tongue.

The dark waves light up slowly, next. Ace liked the way the drops shined in the not yet up sun. He liked the way the waves lit up from below and looked ethereal. The whole sea would shine for moments, the sky and the ocean finally separating. Ace had heard stories about it. There was one that told how the ocean and the skies kissed all night and then had to separate during the day. He liked that one.

It was in these moments, when the sun slowly rose, signifying the birth of a new day that Ace usually wondered about his own birth. He knew that he was the son of the devil. Of the monster. He had come to a conclusion that he, by extension was an abomination, too. He resented the tainted blood that flowed through his veins. He hated. He hated himself, his father, the world, the Government. He hated a lot. There was one person that he could never hate, though. The woman that had selflessly sacrificed herself for him. He had taken her last name in her honor. He often fantasized how it would be if his mother were alive. He often wondered how her embrace would feel. But he didn't regret it. He wished for it, but he didn't regret a single thing in the past. If his mother hadn't been brave, he wouldn't have had two amazing brothers. He wouldn't be who he was today. But, even that determination didn't stop him from wondering if he should have ever been born.

"Ace-sama, you look deep in thought." A soft feminine voice came from behind the young pirate. "Is something bothering you?" Ace turned slightly, just enough to see the girl standing behind him. Her name was Penelope, Penny for short, and she was one of the slaves that they had rescued. The girl wasn't from the Torentes Islands, so she had chosen, more like begged, to sail with Vista back to Moby Dick. She had said that she wanted to return the favor. Help her saviors.

"Nothing at all." Ace retorted, giving the timid girl a smile. Penny walked forward and placed her hands gently on the railing. She was a small girl, shorter than the raven beside her. Her hair was a soft shade of strawberry blond, tied in a long braid and her figure was slim, but filled out in all the right places. Ace smiled at the redness that had spread on Penny's cheeks and nose from the time she had spent on the ship.

"You should get a hat, Penny." The former slave gave him a confused look. "Your face is getting red." She blushed a fine tomato red now, causing Ace to laugh. He had been surprised when the small girl had asked to travel with them. Heck, after what the Hollow Skull had done to her, he didn't expect her to want to come close to a pirate ever again. Strangely, Penny had become attached to Ace fast, considering him some kind of a guardian angel. The young pirate, however, didn't catch on to her developing idolization of him. He just enjoyed the attention, thinking that it was just friendship. All in all, Ace was as oblivious as usual.

"Do you think that Whitebeard-sama will like me?" The girl questioned again. "Do you think that he will allow me to stay on the ship?" Ace noticed that she was looking at him expectantly. He gave her another smile, enjoying the blush that spread across her already red cheeks once again. She was a very timid little thing.

"I don't know." Ace joked. The girl pouted at him, crossing her arms. They watched the sun rise slowly for a few more minutes. Then, Penelope turned towards the galley and spoke.

"I'm going to go eat some breakfast. Would you like to join me, Ace-sama?" Ace grinned and jumped off the railing, holding his orange hat secure on his head.

"Sure. I'm starving."

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke up to the feeling of someone shaking her shoulder. She blinked a couple of times to focus. She saw a blue and red blur with something that had a golden hue right in front of her.

"Morning, cuz." Shrimp's voice greeted. "C'mon, up you go." That's right. She was back on Arcadia. The Sparrow was rusting. Ran jumped up, feeling her sore muscles stretch and her bones pop because of the uncomfortable position that she had slept in. Shrimp laughed. "Haven't slept in a garage for a while, have you?" Ran growled at him.

"Shut up. I'm fine." The pilot walked forward clumsily. She shivered slightly in Arcadia's morning wind. It was much colder up here. She would need to dig out some of her old clothes. Or just steal some of Shrimp's unused ones.

"You coming?" Shrimp called from somewhere below her. Ran looked around. That's right. She had arrived last night and had started working on the Sparrow right away. Shrimp had helped her get the glider all the way to the Fifth level. There, they had found an abandoned plane garage where they could work. After all, they were doing illegal work. Once a glider was deemed unusable, it was supposed to be melted, not repaired.

Ran climbed down the metal stairs, stretching. The abandoned space was wide enough for two Sparrows. It had a bottom and top floor. There were pieces of metal, discarded gear and red flying paper everywhere. The two relatives didn't mind it. When they were younger they used to go into the abandoned places and build their experiments all the time. She was pretty sure that Shrimp had continued doing it even after Ran had flown away. The older sibling, Bohai, well, he had cleaned up his act.

"Looks better." Ran remarked, looking at the glider. She had managed to take it apart last night and rub the homemade anti-rust solution all over the wings. Shrimp had been very helpful. There was still some leftover acid solution in the leaking metal barrel near the wall. Ran smiled, thinking of the first time when she had used the lime and salt solution. It had been ages ago.

"I'm still not sure about the inner mechanism. You made it mostly with iron parts, right?" Shrimp said, inspecting the centerpiece of the Sparrow. Ran had managed to combine Breath Dials along with Arcadian Gear Technology to create a self-propelling vessel. It was an unusual technique, as Arcadians liked to stick to their own stuff.

"Yes. But I figured after I clean it up, I could patch it a bit." Ran smirked. "With gold." Shrimp whirled to look at her, jaw dropping.

"You're insane." He whispered. "Let's do it!" And she had her cousin on board. Patching with gold was not only a difficult process, but a dangerous and expensive one. Gold wasn't too expensive to buy here, they had plenty of it. However, the tools to introduce the substance to the existing vessel were expensive. They would probably build their own in the end. And there was a high risk of the two metals coming apart during flight. Needless to say, it wasn't a frequently used procedure.

"But, cuz, we need to go home now." Shrimp was suddenly pulling her hand. "We missed dinner and Auntie is gonna be furious."

"Crap." Ran murmured and started running, pulling her cousin behind her. Her mother may not be a soldier, but she was a force to be reckoned with.

~~~~pb~~~~

It was at breakfast that Ace realized why Kondor had been appointed a permanent cook on the Moby Dick. Most pirates could only make the essential stuff. And essential stuff meant edible. In Ace's opinion it was alright, but by Penny's face, it was barely edible. He laughed when she took her first spoonful and grimaced.

"This is horrible." She complained. "Is the food always like this?" She enquired, quickly washing the taste down with her water. Ace managed to stop laughing to give her an answer.

"No. We have a pretty great cook on the Moby Dick." He said through chuckles. Penny got up, picking up her almost untouched tray.

"Well, until we get back there, I am going to make myself useful." And with that the short girl walked to the kitchen. Ace watched her as she went. She seemed better. Penny went through a terrible trauma. She hadn't spoken much for a while. Ace took complaining and working as a good sign. Then again, he was no expert.

The scent of fried onions and eggs came from the kitchen, causing a line of pirates to form at the door. Penny had thrown the men on cooking duty out of the kitchen and was taking over. Ace soon abandoned his food, which was a very rare sight, and headed towards the entrance, too. He managed to peek through a gap in between bodies and got a good look at the scene. Penelope was almost flying around the kitchen, cutting, salting, adjusting the fire and arranging the finished food. Ace stared in awe as the former slave cooked with a wide smile on her face, serving the full plates to the hungry pirates.

The crowd took their plates and slowly dispersed. Ace had managed to steal a bowl full of fries and moved a bit to the side. The raven found himself leaning comfortably against the wall, watching the young girl work and munched on his food. It was when the crowd cleared that Ace went into the kitchen to get a whole pile of plates. Penny gave him a smile and served the dishes. Even back at the Hollow Skull ship she had been amused by stories about his appetite. Seeing it in person delighted her.

"Seems that Kondor will have some competition." The young pirate remarked through food, sitting on a bar stool and eating. He had chosen to stay in the kitchen and use the counter as his table.

"I can't do much. But I'm not useless." Penny said, giving a sad smile. Ace looked up at her, his eyes boring into hers, serious.

"You aren't useless. You're important." The pirate told her before digging into his food again. The blonde girl pulled out her own chair and sat next to him, waiting for the oven to signal that the next batch was baked. Penny pulled a plate towards her and ate some fruit.

"Thank you, Ace-sama, for everything." She told him quietly, staring at the strawberries on her plate. "For getting me out of there. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come along." She looked to Ace now, only to see him head first in his plate, fork still raised. Vista's division members gave each other meaningful looks as they listened to the young girl's twinkling laughter coming from the kitchen.

~~~~pb~~~~

It took about a week for Vista's group to almost catch up to the Moby Dick. The Commander had told Ace to be careful with Penny. Of course, the young pirate had no idea what Vista meant. Sure, he tried to keep an eye on the former slave, worried that the treatment that the Hollow Skull put her through would cause her to be rash. However, the girl seemed fine. She cooked every day, and didn't allow the pirates to help her. She also often sat on the deck, just watching the sea.

Ace asked once why she did that. She told him that she had lived by the sea her whole life, but that she had never been able to sail. Her father was rather protective, so he didn't allow her to get on a boat. And when the Hollow Skull Pirates took her away, they never let her leave the brig. So, Ace would often catch her staring out to the sea, thinking. He wondered if she heard the same calling that many pirates hear. The sea howling, demanding you to go out there, feel the adrenaline surge through your veins when you are at the mercy of the ocean. He himself stared out to the open sea often. Whenever Ace felt the pull of the ocean, he looked out to the waves. He didn't feel it often, as he spent most of his time at the sea. He had mostly quenched his thirst for the thrill. He felt free.

That is where Ace found Penny that afternoon, too. After lunch he looked for her. He had wanted to show her how to navigate the ship. However, when he found the short blonde, all of those thoughts vanished from his mind. The first thing that Ace heard was soft, muffled sobs. He followed the sound and saw Penny sitting on the ground, leaning against the railing, head in her lap. She didn't seem to hear the pirate approaching.

Ace came closer, feeling his nerves get unsettled. There were a few things that the raven couldn't handle and one of those were crying women. He would just, sort of freeze up, and then he couldn't feel his legs. He wouldn't know what to do with his arms. They would just hang limply, maybe swing at his sides uselessly.

He had gotten better at it, though. Sure, he would still feel uneasiness in his stomach when he saw a woman crying. His heart would speed up and then he would feel his head pound. Almost like he was having an out of body experience. His body would go into autopilot mode, kind of numb. This is what happened when he saw Penny crying, too.

He sat next to her, silent. The blonde didn't react to his presence. She kept crying her eyes out into her hands. Ace wasn't sure how long he sat there, not touching the young girl, just listening to her sob and choke on her tears. He wouldn't dare touch her. He had seen how girls that have had experience with pirates like Hollow Skull react to physical contact. The only thing he could do now, was sit with her, and provide comfort with his presence.

"Please don't look at me." Penny spoke, her voice scratchy from crying. Ace had to strain to hear her. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. Heck, he wasn't sure how to deal with this situation at all.

"You're going to be alright." He told her. "Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But you're going to be alright." Ace saw her raise her head. Now Penny's doe eyes were focused on him. Then, she started wailing again, hysterical.

"No! I'm filthy! I shouldn't be alive!" Ace caught her hands that were tearing at her hair. Penny flinched and started screaming, trashing about. The pirate quickly let her go. She was completely out of it, crying once again, murmuring about how she shouldn't have been born. Ace shooed away the crew that was gathering with his hand and attempted to calm down Penny without touching her.

"Penny. Hey, Penelope, listen to me." The girl calmed down slightly, but her head stayed down, sobs racking her small body. "Never say that you shouldn't be alive. Ever." Ace's voice was strong and confident, even though there was a storm in his own head. Who was he to tell her that? He felt a bit encouraged by the fact that she had raised her head a bit and was staring at him intently. "You are the only one who can decide why you are alive, Penelope. Nobody else can tell you what to do. Understood?" The girl gave him a tiny nod now, sniffling. He gave her a smile of encouragement.

Suddenly, Penny stood up, smiling shakily at Ace. "I'm going to go cook something." And the girl was gone. Ace felt his muscles relax and he plopped back down. His back hit the railing and he lowered his head into his hands, sighing again. He felt like absolute crap.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Take a look at these." Shrimp said, tossing a notebook into Ran's lap. She put her sandwich down, brushed her hands on her working pants and took the notebook. The duo was taking a food break from fixing the Sparrow. They had cleaned up the abandoned building a bit and now it was a place that they went to every afternoon and stayed in until almost midnight. Ran started going through the sketches. Shrimp's notebook was full of detailed pencil drawings of various mechanical setups. She picked up her sandwich with one hand and flipped the pages with the other.

"These are pretty good. I can see this working." Shrimp nodded enthusiastically. "But, really? Golems?" She looked up to her cousin, frowning at his grin. Golems were a type of robots. They were described in many scripts that were brought from the Moon, however, no one knew how to assemble them and make them function properly anymore. Ran suspected that they used the mysterious core as their primary propel-function. They were considered a myth these days. Besides, golems had been made a taboo subject a few decades ago. If Shrimp was working on them under the radar, he was being quite the daredevil. She gave him a disapproving look.

"I know, cuz. But it's worth it." Shrimp told her, plopping down. "I've mostly figured out the mechanics. Their cores are a bit of a problem, though. And also, the materials. All the prototypes that I've made failed." Shrimp took his multi-purpose goggles off and mussed up his hair.

Cores were a mystery technology brought from the Moon. They existed in most of the machines and allowed for them to have a life of their own. Some would call them magic, since they were a conscious of sorts. No one really knew how the cores worked, though. There used to be a way to contact them, through core connecting. Neither Ran nor Shrimp knew a lot about cores. They had learned the basics through books, but nothing else. Ran liked to think of them as little, beating hearts of the machines. Maybe that is why she never could melt down a vessel.

"I can help during breaks." The pilot nodded. She stood back up and tossed Shrimp his notebook. Ran walked to the pieces of the Sparrow and pulled her work goggles back down. The pilot picked up her makeshift heating tool and continued working on adding gold to the iron. Shrimp and Ran, they couldn't afford the tools that they needed so they either borrowed some from the family shop, or they made them themselves.

The metal door of the garage screeched as someone opened it from the outside. Ran turned off the heater and prepared to use it as a weapon if necessary. Shrimp had jumped up and prepared a pipe as his last defense. This was the Fifth level, after all. Not only could they both get killed for just being here, but they would get arrested if a soldier discovered them. After a few tense moments, a mop of dark hair entered the room, equally dark eyes locating the two trespassers.

"Get out here and help me, you delinquents." Shrimp's elder brother called. He looked to their weapons of choice and raised an eyebrow. "Scary." The man teased. Shrimp snorted and tossed his pipe away. The duo followed their relative outside, not quite sure what to expect. Sure, Bohai used to be as much of a law breaker as they were, but he had been walking on the straight and narrow during the last four years. Ran had barely recognized him the last time she had come for repairs.

Bohai was shorter than Shrimp, and less muscular. Hence, Shrimp had gotten his ironic nickname due to his size. Bohai still towered over Ran, though. In the recent years he had cut his long hair, and now it was a midnight colored messy mop, slightly shorter than Shrimp's. He usually wore his red guard uniform, but now he was in casual work clothes. By the grease, he had probably been helping his father before coming to find his brother and cousin.

"What are you going here, brother?" By Shrimp's tone, the two still hadn't worked out their differences. Ever since Ran had left, the brothers had been drifting apart. The pilot wasn't sure what the problem was, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to get involved. She remembered the way that her cousins used to argue. It wasn't pretty, and it usually was over stupid things.

"Bringing this." Outside of the garage there was the old truck that their family used for towing. Of course, it had been modified by their uncle and father, who had lovingly named it Betty. Betty was currently pulling a container behind her. Ran peered in, curious. She saw top notch metal parts and resources. The pilot turned to her cousin, a look of disbelief on her face. True, they lived in the Third circle, but they weren't rich or anything. It was because of Ran's father's position in the army that they had that status. They couldn't afford these kinds of parts.

"By the Storm Thief! Where did you get these?" Ran yelped at Bohai. The man smiled at her gently.

"There are a lot of people that you have done favors for, Ran. We all pitched in. We know how much you care about that glider of yours." Bohai gave another smile to the girl. She looked shocked by his words. True, she had done quite a bit of work, even before leaving Arcadia. She loved flying, and if carrying some cargo meant that she could fly freely and gain some pocket money, it was her pleasure. Besides, there was a law on Arcadia that told how you had to work if you were able.

"But it's still too expensive!" The pilot complained.

"Oh, you have the wrong idea, Ran. We didn't buy most of it. It's more of a case where we gathered what we didn't need." Bohai scratched the back of his head, nervous. "Sorry, it's just leftovers." At this, Ran's smile brightened. She ran over to her cousin and hugged him.

"Sheesh, you shouldn't be that happy about leftovers, cuz." Shrimp complained while rummaging through the new materials. "But we can use most of these. Oh, look! An old core connector!" Shrimp was holding some kind of a bulky helmet. It was slightly rusted with lots of wires and gears hanging off and sticking up in weird directions. Ran and Bohai exchanged doubtful glances. "We could try and set it up, you know." Shrimp was grinning in excitement.

"I'm taking that back." Bohai said sternly.

"I wanna try that!" Ran exclaimed at the same time, eyes glinting in excitement. Bohai gave her a disapproving look, arms crossed while Shrimp let out a whoop of joy.

"Only as a last resort, you delinquents." The elder cousin scolded.

"Party pooper." The two in question complained to each other under their breaths. Bohai started unloading Betty and carrying stuff into the abandoned space. He frowned slightly. His brother and cousin were too careless. Core connecting was forbidden. That technology had been forgotten, along with the golem research. And now they were digging into both of those topics, quite recklessly. He knew what his brother was into. He had seen Shrimp staying up and drawing those setups. Of course, he would protect them as long as he could, and he would never turn them in for their curiosity, but there were others not as kind as he was.

Bohai glanced at his two relatives that were going over the new materials outside excitedly. He then inspected the disassembled Sparrow. It was built well, he could tell. Ran's work had always been exceptional. He and Jinhai had, after all, taught her all she knew. He put the metal planks in the corner and walked over to the centerpiece of the Sparrow. Ran still hadn't removed the all the torso plates, however, he could see a small yellow orb where the heart would be if the Sparrow were real. It looked like a tiny Sun. It was the core. The mystery that moved almost all machines on Arcadia. It was one of the old technologies that weren't supposed to be researched, just taken for granted.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bohai hadn't even noticed his cousin approach. She smiled as she looked at the small heart of the glider. Her eyes had that twinkle that all mechanics had.

"It truly is remarkable." The man murmured back.

"Hey, come help me out here!" Shrimp called, irritated, from outside.

~~~~pb~~~~

It was a rare sight to see all family members attending dinner. However, when it happened, it made Ran's aunt ecstatic. She had been humming in the kitchen happily for a while. Ran's aunt was a wonderful woman in the pilot's opinion. She had married Ran's father's older brother and had Shrimp and Bohai. The woman loved her job and her family. She owned a tiny bakery on the lower Third level and worked there from early morning until late evening. Ran didn't see much of the redheaded woman. However, when they did meet in the middle, they always had a blast. Unlike her own mother, her aunt still had a bit of a wild side and she loved shopping. New clothes were always guaranteed when her aunt planned an outing. And cakes. If there was a person that could bake like a magician, that was the slim redhead.

The woman, currently assigned cook, made the youngest members of the family set the table while she filled plates. Ran's mother was still in the bathroom, getting revitalized after a hard day at work with a bubble bath. Nobles could be very unpleasant. Uncle had just come in and gone to change into something non-greasy. Ran's father still wasn't home from work. The three almost siblings ended up setting the table quickly, and then they took a short break in the living room, sinking into the soft chairs and sofa.

"Those pirates and their government at the Blue Sea, they fight, no?" Bohai asked Ran. The two brothers had never left the White Sea. They quite enjoyed it up there, but they were rather curious about the other part of the world.

"Yes. The Marines, that's the government, want to enforce the law, and the pirates want to be free. So they end up fighting a lot." Ran nodded.

"Which side are you on?" Shrimp asked, grinning.

"That's not what I meant." Bohai interrupted before Ran could answer. He was giving his brother a rather disapproving look. "I meant, do they use combat skills against each other?"

"Yes. They also have Devil Fruits." Ran answered. Bohai looked pensive after hearing this, while Shrimp started firing off questions about different Devil Fruit users that Ran had met.

"I think you should learn some sky combat, Ran." Bohai interrupted. Ran snorted. "I understand that you don't want to fight, but this will be purely for protection." Shrimp had gone quiet, too, watching his brother carefully. "I know that after flying so much you can probably use mantra. If not, it will come much easier to you than it came to me. And you can use some of those crazy inventions of my brother's while developing your own style of sky combat." Bohai listed, getting excited. "Oh course, I would teach you myself. What do you say?" He grinned at Ran. The pilot sat there, dumbfounded. He had probably been very worried about her being all alone and unprotected at the Blue Sea. But to hell with it. Right now, she could see her cousin from four years ago. If teaching her how to kick some ass meant that he would regain some of his more insane streaks, she could sacrifice some muscle pain. With that thought, Ran nodded.

"But!" The pilot stopped her cousin from hugging her in joy. "You have to promise it won't interfere with my fixing the Sparrow." Bohai sighed, relieved. It was a reasonable demand.

"I swear." He replied, finally hugging the girl. They both heard Shrimp awe in the background and then jump of them, attempting to make it a group hug.

**That's all folks! **

**Before I go to reviews, a bit of my current plans for this story:**

**Ran will NOT gain amazing powers or whatever. I'm trying to keep her as original as possible. I'm hoping that she isn't a Mary Sue. **

**She will get off her high cloud and back to the Blue Sea, and by extension Ace. Let's face it, you don't just fall in love with one woman right away and live happily ever after. Especially Ace. He is kind of oblivious, in my opinion. I think that, at this point, they both have some kind of feelings towards each other, but aren't too sure what to name them. Mostly they think that it's friendship.**

**Ok, I'm almost done. I was very inspired by steampunk. Arcadia is like one huge steampunk fantasy of mine. I hope that it isn't getting too confusing. Also, I based some of the things that I will further develop on Ghost in the Shell. I read the manga a long time ago, and once I started making Arcadia, it just came natural to put some of the elements in. I strongly recommend reading it, or watching the anime, it may be old, but it is amazing!**

**Also, Arcadia is an ironic name, as in Greek Mythology it is considered to have been the home of Pan, the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, hunting etc, and Arcadia is celebrated as an unspoiled, harmonious wilderness. **

**Reviews:**

**Otaku-chan: I am glad that you found it IC and unexpected! I was trying to be spontaneous xD I know that not a lot of fanfiction writers use Ace's narcolepsy as an asset, some even forget about it, so I like to use it as much as possible :D**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter, love!**

**Savage Kill: I'm glad that you have been amused :D I do try hehehehe~ **

**I don't think I'm ready to part with the Sparrow yet, and believe me, neither is Ran. If she lost her 'home' right now, I don't think she'd get over it. She sees the Sparrow as an extension of herself, she needs more development before she is able to lose something as crucial as the Sparrow. I think it'll live, for now mwahahahahha!**

**Aaaah the rebellion! I am glad that you've noticed my hint at that thing… Well, they were all most certainly influenced by it, but, it will all become clear later. What we are seeing now, all the rules and regulations and the strict separation of classes by wealth is the aftermath of said, partially failed, rebellion. **


	10. Wake me up

**Welcome, ladies and gents! **

**I apologize for the wait, however, like I said in the beginning, this story isn't really a priority of mine. Honestly, I didn't expect it to get so much attention. xD**

**I would like to thank animebella09 and srooone for the favs! And also, animebella09 and AkaNeko-chan for the alerts, welcome to the family, my darlings! :D**

**Lilikoikoi, anytime, love :) **

**After this chapter, I'm actually considering going up in rating. I'm not sure though. I'm not writing anything explicit, just giving some hints here and there. However, I tend to curse a lot through my writing, and I do consider sex to be a normal part of the whole life journey, so I'm considering going up in the rating… I would love to hear your opinion guys! :D**

**Anyways, I give you:**

**Chapter 10: Wake me up - Avicii**

The sea was raging when Ace finally sighted the Moby Dick. He ignored the cold drops hitting his face in the rain. He adjusted his body temperature again, evaporating the seawater.

"Moby Dick on the horizon!" Ace yelled over the railing of the small crow's nest. He didn't see anyone react. The howling of the storm was too loud. The young pirate abandoned his post, and crossed the deck in minutes, reaching Vista.

"Moby Dick is on the horizon!" Ace panted over the raging sea's cries. The Commander nodded and boomed suddenly.

"All right men! Our home is in sight! Prepare signal flares! Hard to port! Follow the Moby Dick!" Ace jumped slightly at first, surprised at the volume that Vista reached. His men on deck immediately reacted. The Commander himself headed for the wheel, intending to steer them home. He turned to Ace, and seeing him a bit dumbfounded there, Vista bellowed. "Back to your post!" Ace jumped, snapping out of his daze and hurried back up the rigging.

Vista smiled to himself, dismissing the pirate at the wheel. He had learned quite a bit about their new recruit in the past few days. The Commander gripped the wooden wheel tight and steered the small vessel. He had seen the young pirate interact with the former slaves, especially the one girl that had stayed on their ship. The small girl had begged Vista to take her along. The Commander didn't promise anything. He wasn't one to choose whether to recruit. He could only get her to Pops. The old man would make the final decision. That, however, seemed to brighten the girl's day.

"Commander Vista! The First Commander is approaching!" Vista nodded to his crewmate. Marco was probably being his usual worrywart self. The First Commander might not show it, but he was definitely a person who worried. It wasn't too unusual for him to go and visit the incoming ships and help them dock. Considering the storm outside, they could use some of that help right now.

The phoenix landed onto the wet deck, transforming back into the first mate. Marco locked eyes with Vista and then ran towards the group that was working on sails, helping.

~~~~pb~~~~

Hot hands wondered down her bare back. Ran arched further into the man before her, accepting yet another kiss. The air outside the club was wonderfully cold on her, sweaty from dancing, body. She moaned softly when the man rubbed against her just right, sending tingles down her spine and into all the right places. Suddenly, she didn't regret accepting Shrimp's invitation to go clubbing. She wasn't usually one to go. And she most certainly wasn't one to leave with a guy. Most of the time she was the designated driver who would look for her cousin and have to awkwardly separate him from a half-naked woman.

The man holding her bit her neck unexpectedly and Ran gripped his shoulders tighter, her leg going further up and to his hip. A hand reached behind her knee, and her 'friend' for the night picked her up and pushed her further against the wall. Ran welcomed the feeling of cold, hard bricks digging into her back. Then again, she also welcomed the feel of the warm body grinding into her and the attention that the man was paying to her neck and collar bone. She allowed her head to fall back, colliding softly with the wall. She liked a bit of pain. She really was an M. Ran sighed and pressed against the man's obvious arousal. She had a good feeling about the end of this night.

The nimble fingers danced across her skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps everywhere they touched. Her own fingers found purchase in her partner's longish hair and she gently pulled and massaged his scalp, enjoying the sounds of approval that he was giving. He pulled her down and kissed her once again, his skill obvious. He didn't just sloppily try to get her to follow him, he allowed her to lead a bit, but it was clear that he was in control of the kiss. She could feel the smile on his lips.

But, there was something missing. She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but her alcohol muddled brain was protesting somewhere in the background. True, right now her desire had taken the wheel, but she just wasn't getting there. Then, Ran realized what it was that was missing. The abnormal heat of the body pressed against her and the taste of rum in the kisses. She pulled back and evaded the next kiss. Fuck, she thought. The man latched on her neck, clearly not realizing where her thoughts were going.

The pilot relaxed once again in the embrace and groaned. She wanted this. She wanted release. The alcohol made her front become stronger. The booze made her become bold. She needed release. But not like this. This wasn't the man that she was lusting after. Fuck, her mind screamed. She needed some right now. It's been a while. She'd go find the man that tastes of rum later. With that thought, Ran attached her mouth to the neck offered to her and let her hands roam under her partner's shirt. She felt his fingers brush along the underside of her breast and she sighed once again, murmuring the first name that came to mind. Then everything stopped. Her partner pushed her back slowly, his green eyes locking with her blue ones.

"Who the hell is Ace?"

~~~~pb~~~~

"Hahahahaha! Oh, by the Storm Thief!" Shrimp was practically rolling in the driver's seat, laughing his ass off.

"Shut up!" Ran complained from her position. They were heading back to the Third level after the club closed. Surprisingly, Shrimp was less drunk, so he offered to drive.

"You called him by the wrong name! This is epic!" Shrimp laughed again. Ran remained quiet, fuming, her face red. "I thought that only happened to guys. Obviously not! Hahahahaha!" And he was laughing again, making a left and pulling in to the level documents check-in. He showed their status badge to the guard and got the ok to go through. "So, why'd you call out that pirate dude's name, anyway? You like him, cuz?" Ran snorted.

"As if!" She retorted, still fuming. Shrimp gave her a sly smirk.

"It's ok to like someone, cuz." He said to her softly. Ran turned in her seat, looking at the road.

"I like him, but not in that sense. I'm not really sure how I like him. He is cute and handsome at the same time. And he's dorky and serious. And he's real fun to be around. I like to hang out with him." She concluded, trying to explain what she was feeling.

"But, you also want to fuck him?" Shrimp pointed out.

"Yes." Ran answered before her alcohol influenced mind could catch up. "Wait, no! Wait! Erase that!" But Shrimp was laughing once again.

"It's ok to feel like that, cuz." He said once he calmed down a bit. "I felt like that. Bo felt like that, too. He used to whine to me about his romance drama all the time." Ran chuckled at this. "Just see where it goes. Don't rush it. It's always better to start as friends anyways." They passed yet another wall security. Ran was silent while Shrimp chatted with the guard.

The pilot wasn't too sure what to think. She didn't think about the young pirate often. She couldn't really explain why she had moaned his name. Ran met a lot of people during her travels. She flirted and made friends with quite a few hot guys. Sure, she was partial to the Whitebeard Pirates, but then again, she was just looking for protection. Insurance. And Whitebeard Pirates provided both safety and friendship.

She didn't really know why she was thinking about Ace. He was just another boy. Good kisser, but just another boy. Ran didn't do relationships. She did flings. And she did friendships. If you were a fling, you weren't a friendship. For her to break that rule, the man would have to be bloody amazing. As soon as flings became friendships, or vice versa, it became messy. Ran didn't do messy.

Shrimp pulled into their driveway and parked. The two got out of Betty in silence and walked towards Shrimp's house. They planned to do some more drinking before bed anyways. And where better then on the roof? Shrimp unlocked the door and the half-drunk duo stumbled in. They slowly crept up the stairs and towards Shrimp's room. He had some chocolate liquor stashed there. A door opened behind them and Bohai's messy head appeared in the hallway. He gave them a sleepy disapproving look.

"I hope it's worth the hangover." He mumbled. Shrimp grinned.

"She called a guy by the wrong name." This got Bohai's attention. He seemed rather amused as Ran hit her cousin's shoulder with the back of her hand. "And just when it was getting hot and heavy, too." Bohai started snickering. Ran punched Shrimp's shoulder now and left the two brothers in the hallway, heading for the booze.

~~~~pb~~~~

It was a few days after Ace returned to Moby Dick with Vista that he sat with Leo in the crow's nest. His former mentor had offered to exchange duties with a couple of pirates from Thatches division. This meant that while the two pirates were washing clothes Ace and Leo were drinking in the crow's nest.

It took the blonde two days to stop fawning over Ace's tattoo. The raven was amused by his former mentor's antics, of course. The blonde kept saying how Gator did an amazing job, as always. Leo had to admit, he was a tad jealous. But, all in all, he was glad to have his friend back. He had missed Ace. This surprised the blonde, because he hadn't been friends with the crazy narcoleptic pirate for long. Leo wasn't one to bond quickly, but he had gotten attached to Ace a bit too fast for his comfort. He didn't think that it was a bad thing. In fact, he was glad that he found another one of those easy-to-get-along people. Ace reminded him of Thatch a lot sometimes.

"Hey, Leo." The blonde turned to his friend. He accepted the extended bottle and took a sip, enjoying the burn of the alcohol. "I saw flaming chicken do something interesting in that storm." Ace left the sentence hanging, gaining full interest of his blonde friend.

"What do you mean?" Leo asked, scanning the horizon for ships.

"This wave came and almost knocked the mast off, but Marco stopped it with one hand." Leo gave him a smirk.

"I have no idea what you mean." The blonde responded. Ace scowled.

"Don't mess with me, Leo. I may be a new recruit here, but I was a Captain in the New World first." Ace caught Leo's hand, making him look at the raven. "I am physically strong, but even I can't stop a massive mast from falling, especially while it's being pushed by a monster wave. And on top of that, it was only one hand." They locked eyes for a moment, arguing silently. Leo chuckled lightly.

"Haki." He smiled, looking at the horizon again. "Busoshoku Haki."

"Can you use it?" Ace didn't even skip a beat. Leo laughed now, shaking his head at the raven's antics.

"Some of it, a little bit." The blonde replied. Ace gave him a dubious look.

"That means that you can." Leo didn't reply. "So, teach me." Ace deadpanned. This caused Leo to turn and give him a long stare. The blonde stared at him some more. Once he saw Ace's determination, he sighed.

"I'm going to push you. And you will need Pops permission to learn Haki." Leo paused a bit. "And we should get Marco to help out. He's a master Haki user." The blonde nodded, thinking.

"Hey, isn't that a ship?" Ace remarked, breaking his friend out of his musings. Leo looked through his binoculars and saw the blue seagull flag.

"Marines!" He yelled towards the deck, jumping to his feet.

~~~~pb~~~~

It took two weeks for Ran to actually start understanding the meaning of mantra that her cousin was teaching her. The first time that he tied a cloth over her eyes and made her evade stuff was painful. However, it was also safe, as he was throwing inflatable balls at her. About a week later, Shrimp asked to watch them training, and he actually stopped Bohai from continuing. That is when Ran found out that her cousin had been throwing knives at her for three days already. She didn't speak to him that weekend.

The pilot couldn't quite describe this mantra thing. It was like hyper awareness. It was like tuning into the air current, feeling its flow and strength. Sensing where to lean and when. But only there wasn't an air current. There was only energy all around them. And she could feel it. Very softly, but she could sense the small shifts in the currents. Of course, Bohai tried to flare his killing intent as much as he could, so that he would be easily noticeable. However, at the end of the second week, Ran could proudly walk around the house with a blindfold without hitting into things.

Since her work on the Sparrow had been so slow, she had contacted Elder Pinjao over her Den Den Mushi. The old man told her to come visit whenever, and to take care. Ran felt bad that she had both delayed her job and had to cancel her arrangement to arrive to the Elder's house by the end of the month, but she couldn't help it. With the Sparrow still disassembled and not ready for flight, she couldn't risk going. It was going to have to wait.

On the other hand, her work on the Sparrow had been great. The gold was nicely melting into the damaged iron parts, fixing it. She was looking forward to applying the paint in the end, along with yet another anti-rust layer. Shrimp had tried to fix the connection helmet, but neither of them had gotten the time to try it out yet. Ran, personally, was a bit afraid of using it. She had heard the stories how people went into the cores with their minds, only to never come back. Sure, their bodies lived on, but they were in a coma-like state. It terrified her that something like that could happen to her.

It was at the end of her fourth week at home that Ran put the Sparrow back together and charged the Breath Dial that propelled the glider. After working on it every day for at least twelve hours, it was ready for a flight test. Since Shrimp was at work, and Bohai was busy with training army recruits with Ran's father, she had to test the glider on her own. The pilot pulled her machine from the garage and settled it nicely onto some prop wheels. She stood just below the belly of the Sparrow and grabbed the bars on the underside. And then, Ran ran. She wanted to give the machine the momentum it needed to go up without using the dial. Soon, the girl felt her glider going up, lifting of the ground and leaving the wheels behind.

Ran swung herself back and forth a few times and then flipped over the head of the Sparrow and onto its back. The glider trembled a couple of times, but stayed in the air. Ran chose to fly low, in case something went wrong. She leaned left and right, making a couple of circles, watching the golden fill-ins carefully. The Sparrow flied smoothly. She got brave, feeling the lump in her throat vanish and stepped on the hidden paddle.

It all went wrong. The bird jumped up, propelled by the air burst and then plummeted down. Ran felt her hands grip the bars for dear life, all air leaving her lungs in fear. She heard the screaming of the wind in her ears. Then she realized that she, too, was screaming. The ground was coming closer, and fast. She felt her heart skipping beats as it tried to jump out of her chest. On instinct her foot pressed the hidden paddle again right before the glider collided with the rocks.

~~~~pb~~~~

Bohai had finished extra work early and gone to see how his cousin was doing with her glider. When he didn't find her in the garage he got a bit worried, however, he went to search for her. Ran had, quite probably, gone to test her machine. He knew his cousin well. She wasn't a patient person. At first, he just looked around, trying to find the flashy glider. When he found it, his blood froze. The Sparrow was on fire, its rider a little ways off, lying still on the ground, bleeding.

Bohai rushed forward, dropping his bag and landing hard on his knees next to the unconscious pilot. He carefully rolled her to her back, watching out for her injuries. She seemed so tiny then, bleeding in his arms. His little tiny cousin. He thanked the Storm Thief for his military knowledge of first aid. He tore off his officer jacket and folded it under her head. Bohai tried to locate all the bleeding with shaky hands and he grabbed his bag, tearing apart a spare shirt to stop it. After doing all he could, the soldier pressed the distress button that each military officer had.

~~~~pb~~~~

Penny searched for Ace on the Moby Dick. Whitebeard had allowed the small girl to stay on the ship until they docked. The Yonko had told her that if she wanted to stay after spending some time on the pirate vessel, he would take her as a daughter. She had already made the decision, though. After meeting the crew, the Commanders and the nurses, she adored the pirates even more.

The girl hated how her body unconsciously reacted to them sometimes. She would get antsy and jumpy around the men that she knew less. She couldn't really help it. She would remember the unwanted hands touching her when someone simply tapped her shoulder for attention. Penny hated herself when it happened. True, Ace's words had helped her. She wanted to overcome her trauma. She wanted to choose her own path, without being ruled by something that was in the past.

Ace was napping on deck, free of duties, when Penny found him. The girl felt like the raven was some kind of a savior. Not only did he help her and get her out of that hellish ship, but he gave her advice and tried to save her from herself. In her eyes, he was an angel.

"Ace-sama, good job today." Penny knelt down next to the relaxed pirate and placed the tray that she had been carrying down. The pirate raised his hat a bit, locating the blonde with one sleepy eye.

"Oh, hey." He gave the small girl a smile, causing her to blush. Penny made herself comfortable on the hard planks of the deck.

"I brought you a snack, Ace-sama. Kondor said that you were training hard, so we made you something." She pushed the tray towards him, gesturing with her hand. Ace sat up, stretching. His face lit up when he saw food.

"Nice!" He tried some of the arrangement on the plate. "This is great!" Ace mumbled through a full mouth. Penny sat, just watching him eat. She seemed content just seeing the man inhale food. The everyday action somehow comforted her. Especially since it was her angelic pirate inhaling the food that she had prepared.

"How is training with Leo-sama and Commander Marco-sama going?" Penny asked once the pirate finished his meal. Ace drank the juice that she had brought and nodded after putting his glass down.

"Horrible." Ace laughed at her shocked face. "I just don't get it. This Haki thing is ridiculously hard." Penny frowned. The wrinkles on her nose looked strangely out of place on her face. With that adorable expression she looked at the pirate.

"Is there anything I could do?" Penny offered, hopeful. Ace gave her a grateful smile and lay back down.

"Nah, but thanks for the offer. I'm just sick of the flaming chicken beating the crap outta me." Penny gave a cute laugh at Ace's words. She quite liked Commander Marco. However, the raven didn't share her opinion. He found the phoenix annoying. Or more like, annoyingly powerful. He was well aware that the first mate was still out of his reach. That made Whitebeard miles away. And it sort of scared the crap out of him. Sure, he wasn't trying to take the man's head anymore, but he wanted to be powerful. He wanted to be able to hold his own.

The reason why he wanted that power had changed with time. In a few months he had been entirely overwhelmed by the Whitebeard Pirates and the way that they did things. They had that old time sense of respect and honor. When Ace had asked Ran why she did so much business with Whitebeard, did it outweigh the risk of being on the bad side of another Yonko and the Marines, she had told him about that. And that is when the raven realized that, he too, had been seduced by the old ways of the pirate crew. There was just something very appealing about the giant family. He couldn't put his finger on it. But, he knew, he wanted to make Pops the Pirate King. No regrets.

"Can I steal him for a while?" Thatch said from somewhere above Ace's head. The young pirate searched for the pompadour and located him easily. Let's be honest, his hair was like a freakin beacon. Oh, that was a great idea! He should find a way to make the thing glow. Oh, that would be a blast. Ace couldn't stop the mischievous grin that made its way onto his face, eyes twinkling with the new ideas. Thatch gave him a wary look. Oh, he should be wary. He knew that look all too well.

"Oh! Of course! I was just leaving. Excuse me." Penny scrambled to her feet, taking the empty tray with her. She gave a small bow to both pirates and ran off. Thatch followed her with his eyes, pensive. He smiled a bit and took her place on the deck planks.

"Cute girlfriend you got there, brother." The pompadour teased. He smirked at Ace's mortified face. The teen obviously hadn't overcome the shyness that came with his active sexual life. It was adorable. Thatch remembered when he, too, was at that age. It had been a real blast back then.

"What do you want, Thatch?" The raven skillfully evaded the question. The Commander laughed, accepting his defeat in the verbal pitching for the time being. There would be more chances to tease his new brother.

"I saw you training with Leo and Marco today." The pompadour paused. "It was…Errr… Interesting. Fairly amusing, too." Ace sat up, a scowl on his face.

"If you've come to laugh at me, you can keep it to yourself." The flame user jumped to his feet, preparing to leave. True, he loved his brother, and those brothers loved him, but it was a case of tough love. He was mercilessly teased most of the time. And almost all of that teasing came from Thatch.

"No. No. No! Hey! Wait! I'm trying to give you some advice, you hothead!" Thatch scrambled up and grabbed Ace's shoulder. The raven turned around, a suspicious look on his face. Thatch sighed. "Honest. No tricks." He raised his hands in mock surrender, grinning at Ace. The young pirate nodded, still a bit reluctant.

"What kind of advice?"

~~~~pb~~~~

Bohai paced in the waiting room, still clutching his bloody jacket. The red of the blood ad changed the pure red of his soldier uniform. He couldn't stop shaking. This was his cousin's blood. His little baby cousin's blood. He remembered holding her when she was just a wee thing. He remembered when she got her first glider. He remembered when she first started delivering around Arcadia. He remembered her terrified face when she flew away to the Blue Sea during the rebellion.

"Bo!" The nervous soldier whipped around, ready to strike. His brother crossed the half empty waiting room in two strides and grabbed Bohai's shoulders. "What the hell happened?" Shrimp growled.

"I-I-she-I- there was so much blood…" The elder trailed off, sinking back into his memories.

"Unregistered pilot Ranmao's family, please come to the front desk." Came the almost automatic, cold voice of the desk-nurse. The two brothers broke their eye contact and hurried to the front desk. A doctor was standing there, looking like he had just come out of surgery.

"How is she?" The two spoke at the same time. The elderly doctor gave a small smile.

"She is asleep. It was a minor head injury. They just bleed a lot. We have done a full set of scans to make sure that everything is well." The brothers visibly relaxed, breathing again. Shrimp clapped Bohai on the shoulder, a happy grin on his face. "I would like to keep her for overnight observation, but, that is all. I expect a full recovery in the matter of weeks."

"Thank you." Shrimp said, shaking the doctor's gloveless hand. "Thank you so much." And then he kept repeating the sentence.

"She must be a skilled flyer, to avoid major injuries in a split second." He doctor praised, a smile on his face.

"She is, sir, the best we've got." Shrimp was crying now. Bohai grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

"Let's go see our idiot now." The doctor laughed as the two brother's left towards their cousin's room.

**That's all for now folks!**

**Oh, man, I love exploring Ace's character :D This chapter was fun to write. I feel like I had lost him for a while, went a bit OOC, but I think I'm back on track once again!**

**Savage Kill: Ooooh, yeah, Breaking the Habit does seem interesting as a comparison. I like thaaaat :D You are definitely imagining the right thing :) I was inspired by the comic and TV Series Firefly a lot, I adore them, and when I crossed them over with steampunk, One Piece, my insane brain, Atlantis (don't ask me why), Treasure Planet and many others, Arcadia was proudly born.**

**Ran is a little rebel, going against the system and all that. Hehehehee~ **

** man is absolutely amazing. Or, at least, it was before the recent chapters, Hoshino is killing me (by killing people). I actually have this Kanda fic beginning, squatting on my laptop. I need some inspiration to finish that :D Anyways, back to the point, the golems that I'm thinking of are more like… hmmm big, bulky, flat and round heads, sort of like walking destruction machines. They are pretty sweet. But, yeah, Shrimp is being nosy and curious. Let's hope he doesn't get caught. **

**The rebellion… Ooooh, I will get there… I'm just trying to show how life on Arcadia is right now. I'm hoping to actually get Ran off of it in the next two chapters. I need more Blue Sea time for her. She is getting reckless and antsy without the whole flying solo delivery thing.**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter, love :3**


	11. Prayer of a Refugee

**Welcome, ladies and gents! (Are there any gents here? 0.0)**

**Anyways, Portgas Ace D, I hope that this was a fast update, love :D**

**Thank you Lady Okori and phoenix-like-fire on the alerts :D Welcome, and I hope you enjoy! **

**This was a very amusing chapter to write :D**

**Chapter 11: Prayer of a Refugee – Rise Against**

The waves are high and untamed. The clouds are covering the skies, not allowing the sun rays to go through. The dark sea rises up and goes down in a steady, hard rhythm, as if it is breathing. One wrong move and you are forever swallowed in its deep lungs, never to see the light again. That is what the thrill is, though. That is what gets all of your blood pumping. That is what calls to you. Once you experience the struggle between life and death in pure, untamed nature, how can you not go back?

The raindrops hit her goggles and smear as she rushes forward, following the violent currents. Storms are like a challenge. She loves them, yet fears them. She flies high and low, left and right, often in circles, dancing with the whirlwind of air gusts, as if she is playing with them. Her gloved hands grip the bars of her glider hard as she flies free in the open seas. It is nothing short of terrifying, and yet, it is beautiful, and she is hooked. She always goes back. No matter who begs her not to, she will always go back, even when she is old and wrinkled.

The bird under her let out a loud screech and with a swift adjustment to her position, the young pilot is lying on her glider. She catches just the right current and presses the hidden paddle on her vessel and up they go. The machine doesn't break under the force of the two propellants, it merely trembles slightly. It has a skilled pilot after all. The glider shoots upwards, wings pulled in tight, through the stormy, ice cold clouds with another shout of joy and then silence. The colors change as if a spell was broken. The grey and black and navy are gone and golden, pink and white take their place. It's calm above the storm. The sun it up high, shining, as if oblivious to the rage of the sea below. The glider levels out, and it smoothly heads towards the horizon of blending gold and red. She looks to the wings, and they are softly extending again, almost as if they are flapping.

Ran shot up from her bed, and her head pounded right away. She clutched her forehead, hoping to relieve the pressure. It didn't work. She sat still, eyes open in the darkness of the night. She could still see the beautiful sunset. She could still smell the salty waves. She could still feel the icy clouds on her body. The sea was calling again. She sighed, laying back slowly.

This wasn't the first dream. There were dozens before this one, each more thrilling than the last, more beautiful. She was filled with nostalgia. She was weak at the knees when they came. And she always woke with salt on her lips and ocean in her ears. She needed to go back down.

The past few days had been hell on earth. Bohai and her mother kept babying her, not letting her leave her bed without assistance. She had always hated her room. It reminded her of a cage. A cage she could never leave. She liked to sleep in Jinhai's room. Shrimp had a soft, cloud bed and he had booze under it most of the time. And, most importantly, he didn't mind her sleeping in his bed.

Her father had come to see her when she had gotten home from the hospital. He had told her in an icy tone that she had been reckless, stupid and selfish and that she wasn't allowed to go see the Sparrow ever again. Ran had stayed silent throughout the lecture. Her father was a military man. He didn't understand her passion for flying. He only saw it as a convenient way to attack their enemies. She had begged Shrimp to go check on the glider. In the end, the man had caved and gone. True to his word, he brought her a full report of the damage and some ideas on how to fix it. He spent a lot of evenings by her side, tweaking golem arms and legs. Ran had ended up attaching some of it to a piloting glove, making it a small hook and line. She didn't know how she would use it, or if she ever would, but it looked cool and seemed versatile. That failed when her mother confiscated all of her flying equipment. Damn. Auntie and uncle had been to see her, too. The elder brother had laughed it off. He knew that this wasn't the first nor the last time that his niece would take a nosedive onto the rocks.

Ran looked to the small clock on her nightstand and saw that it was just after midnight. Her mind cooked up a devilish idea and she was too weak to resist. The temptation to see her longtime friend was too much. The pilot got up quietly and got dressed in some cargo pants and one of Shrimp's huge shirts. She tied it to the side so it wouldn't slip off, but it still showed her bare shoulder. Ran tied up her hair and grabbed a pair of bulky, protective boots. They were very different from what she usually wore, but they were comfortable, and that was important. Now, came the crazy part of her plan. She couldn't go through the house. Her father had the ears of a fox. Getting caught was not an option. The pilot opened her roof window and climbed up with some difficulties. She carefully closed the lid after her.

Moon lighting her way, the pilot slowly and softly walked over the rooftop. The wind wasn't too violent, but if she wasn't careful, she would take yet another nosedive, and this one wouldn't end too well. However, Ran knew how to read the current. She followed the pull of the wind and started running. Her boots hit the roof harder and stronger, but she was too far gone to worry about waking her father now. She was feeling the familiar, before-flight nerves. With that, the young girl jumped off the edge of the roof and flew for a few seconds, the wind pushing her forward. Then, Ran landed onto the next roof. Breathing hard from excitement, she prepared for another jump, eyes finally alive with the death and life thrill.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace was laying contently in his favorite place on the Moby Dick, on the roof of the captain's quarters. He stared up at the sky, his mind peaceful. Surprisingly, there wasn't a party on the deck that night. When he had asked Thatch about it, the Commander told him something about low alcohol and being economical until the next island. This led to Ace laying there, in the middle of the night, unable to sleep and completely sober. His narcolepsy was a pain sometimes. Since he slept a lot, randomly, during the day, he slept like that during the night, too. Essentially, he had a very weird sleeping schedule.

The ship's doctor, Jade, or doc, as everyone called her, had tried to help him with it. She had given him a fixed schedule of when he should sleep to fix the random attacks during the day. Ace had tried, he really had, but it didn't work out for him. He still liked being awake at night. He missed the stars when he wasn't. There was just something very appealing about the thousands of tiny lights up there. They made him feel small and insignificant, and that comforted him somehow. It made him feel so human.

On the other hand, he liked hearing the stories. He never was much of a reader, but on occasion he would pick up a book or two. The legends that people thought of were fascinating. He had learned most of the major stars when he was younger, dreaming about using them as navigation when he became a pirate. Luffy had been horrible at learning the names and the positions. Ace figured that his little brother would probably just drift around before he got a decent navigator on his crew. Sabo, on the other hand, had already known most of the stars even before Ace had gotten into astrology. His dear brother had been a great help during the learning process. Now, Ace knew almost all of the stars that he could see even on a cloudy night. He could tell apart the constellations in the sky, too.

Ace raised his hand, looking at the white bandages around it. The pure color stood out against the dark sky. It had been a while since he'd gotten hurt. From the moment he had eaten the Mera Mera no Mi, he simply put physical pain to the back of his mind. For a Logia getting hurt in a fight was a low probability, unless there was kairoseki involved. Thus, Ace had been lulled into a false sense of security. Until Jinbei, Whitebeard and then finally Marco slammed him back into reality. Haki was truly a fearsome thing. Leo had explained all three types of Haki to Ace, quite well, too. The raven had remembered an incident from his childhood when he thought that he had used Haoshoku Haki. His blonde friend had done a full interrogation after that, and had proclaimed him, in the end, a one in a million person. Leo told him that both Shank's and Whitebeard had that form of Haki, and that he was a very lucky guy to possess it. Ace, on the other hand, was frustrated that he had no idea how to use the wondrous ability.

"Of course you're here." A woman's voice came from somewhere to Ace's right, surprising him. He raised his head, only to see doc walking over to him and making herself comfortable. She had a bottle with her. Ace lit up like a Christmas tree. She gave a short, throaty laugh and passed him the precious liquor. It turned out to be Pop's sake. He was going to regret it in the morning. Again.

"How come you are awake?" The raven asked. He wasn't too familiar with Jade. She was a private person. She stayed in her medical wing, and she yelled like a banshee. Having a casual conversation with doc was like walking on thin ice. At any moment it could break and you would be falling headfirst in the fiery volcano below.

"Just finished all the records. I need to be on top of all the medicine usage and buying." The woman drank some sake and put the bottle down gently. They sat in silence. Ace watched the stars and the woman beside him stayed quiet with her eyes closed. "You gave up on the schedule?" She asked him after a while.

"Sorry." He gave a small, nervous laugh. Hopefully, he wasn't making his way into the active volcano. "I missed the stars. And the faces that the rest of the guys make when I fall asleep in my food." He was still grinning when he looked at the woman. She had a small smile on her face, eyes fixed on the crow's nest now.

"Whatever you say, cowboy." The doctor got up, leaving the sake. Ace followed her form till the edge of the roof. "Goodnight, Ace." Jade told him and jumped down gracefully.

"Goodnight." He said into the empty space. He heard heals clicking away on the planks of the deck. Ace drank some sake and raised his eyes to the skies again. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a long haired figure climb into the crow's nest. Wasn't it flaming chicken's shift tonight?

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran found the Sparrow in the abandoned garage. His wings were broken in a very weird way, almost half their original size. She saw the rest of the bird sitting still in the corner, looking pitiful. In fact, the whole glider looked pitiful. One of the hand-drawn eyes of the bird was scratched off, probably by the rocks. She sighed and walked over, closing the garage door behind her carefully. Ran placed her palms flat against the Sparrow's head and leaned her forehead against the cool metal. She could feel the hard, cold plate against her skin, where it wasn't covered by the bandage.

"I'm sorry, my friend. I rushed and pushed you. Forgive me."

She stayed there for a while. Then she pulled back. It was time to fix her bird once more. It was time to leave, for Calypso's sake. She couldn't resist the calling anymore. Ran inspected the breaks first. They weren't too messy. Something could still be done to fix these wings. She remembered her dream. She remembered the way the Sparrow stretched his wings and retracted them in her dream. Maybe it was her conscious giving her an idea? Whatever it was, it was brilliant. With that thought the young pilot headed over to Shrimp's golem prototypes. She found the one that she had played with the most. That was the one that she had used as a model to make that addition on her piloting glove. A smirk making its way onto her face, Ran took apart the failed prototype of a robot. She would make her friend fly again.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Wake up, Ace! We've hit the jackpot, my friend." Thatch shook his friend/brother again. The raven rolled away from him, mumbling something about sweet sleep. However, Thatch wasn't one to give up. If there was a person on the Whitebeard crew that rivaled Ace in stubbornness it was him. He followed the young pirate and poked him once again. "Wake uuuuup!"

Ace cracked one eye open and squinted through the sun. He had fallen asleep on the roof again. "Wha?" His voice cracked from a dry throat and his head was pounding. He knew that he was going to regret that sake. Thatch grinned and gave him a glass full of red goo. The Commander had come prepared. Ace grabbed the remedy and chugged it. He had found that the faster you drink it, the easier it is later. "Thanks." He handed the glass back, but Thatch evaded it.

"C'mon, let's get you some breakfast, and then we should get ready. We have hit the jackpot. Somehow." Ace followed Thatch off the roof and towards the cafeteria. He was kind of confused now. Jackpot? Thatch turned and saw the raised eyebrow. He gave a small laugh and then explained. "Doc is taking us on an adventure! So, it's no duties for you, and no paperwork for me!"

Ace nodded. He could see why Thatch was happy. Doc was, no other way to say it, beautiful. He understood why the Commander was excited. Ace wondered if he should tell Thatch about Jade visiting Marco in the crow's nest last night. Then again, it could've been nothing. He wasn't Izo. He wasn't going to match make and assume. Then again, the pink Commander in question probably knew about the last night's late visit. He simply knew everything. About those kinds of things especially.

"Morning, Kondor." Ace greeted the old cook. "The usual, if you would." The raven leaned through the window and into the kitchen. "Hey, Penny!" He greeted the small girl. She squeaked, and whirled around, red faced.

"Good morning, Ace-sama, Commander Thatch-sama." The girl gave two polite bows to each and then smiled and continued her work. Thatch gave a small wave back before she turned. Kondor watched the exchange, amused.

"Ace, my boy. Thatch, you rascal." He greeted. "A-aah~ What will it be, Commander?" The cook asked as he started preparing Ace's mountain of food.

"Some eggs and bacon would be great." The Commander ordered and then turned to Ace. "As I was saying, this is great. Doc told me that there is a small island close by that she loves to visit."

"What do you mean?" Ace questioned, eyebrows furrowed, for once not paying attention to the soon-to-be-his food.

"It's an island full of herbs. Natural grown, of course. The place is uninhabited. She goes there once or twice a year to gather the best of her supplies." Thatch continued. "Naturally, Pops liked for her to take some protection. This time, Jade asked for the two of us." Thatch was grinning by the end of his explanation. His eyes were wide with anticipation and excitement.

"I can see the benefits." Ace grinned and picked up his trays.

"Here you go, Commander." Kondor pushed Thatch his food and the pompadour took it. The two friends left for Ace's favorite seat by the windows. By now, Thatch had accepted his new brother's weird habits and was humoring the younger pirate quite often.

~~~~pb~~~~

The sun was high in the skies when Ace and Thatch met doc on the deck. Pops gave them a small nod and the trio boarded a small boat and set off. Ace noticed how Marco and Jade exchanged glances. He just couldn't put it out of his mind for some reason. The raven located Izo, which wasn't too difficult, the man was wearing a pink kimono for Triton's sake, and tried to read his painted face. However, the cross-dressing Commander betrayed nothing. He either didn't notice the exchange, which Ace doubted, or he didn't want to meddle. The raven was pretty sure that it was just a matter of time before the second thing happened.

"Homesick already?" Thatch asked from right behind him. Ace whirled around and shrugged, masking his thoughts. He had seen Penny on the deck waving enthusiastically. Thatch smirked, but left the young pirate alone in favor of adjusting their only sail. Doc came back to the two, looking rather content.

"We are on course. I hope that we arrive by the end of the day and leave tomorrow afternoon." She told them, not leaving room for arguments. After that, Jade left towards the tiny deck and sat down, sunbathing. The two pirates could handle the boat.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran dreamt of the Blue Seas again. At first, she couldn't fall asleep after coming back from the garage. However, she forced herself to nap. She needed to dream again. This time, she focused on the way the Sparrow flew in her dreams. She saw all the gears and wires and the tiny Dials and connections. Needless to say, it was some of the most amazing work that she had ever seen. She wondered where her brain had gotten all that from. Sure, the dreams were an extension of your conscious, a sleeping part of your knowledge, but still, the wings were impressive. She remembered reading about some of those things, but some, she had seen in her unconscious mind for the first time. She wondered if those lay dormant there, what else was hiding? She wanted to access the dark chambers of her brain and use that knowledge.

However, she would have to put that on hold for now. Today, she had to pretend that she wasn't working on her machine. Ran pushed her covers off, only to realize that she had fallen asleep in the dirty clothes from last night. Soot and oil were all over her bed. Her heart clenched in fear and she jumped up, stripping in record time. If her father found out that she had been working on her machine and was planning to leave again… She pulled the covers off her bed and put them in a bundle, along with her dirty clothes. Forget the confiscated piloting equipment, her mother would confiscate the Sparrow's core next. Ran stuffed the clothing into the back of her closet quickly and grabbed a dress. She didn't wear those often, but she would manage for a while. Her head pounded in protest as she pulled the dress over her head. Her door opened.

"Ranmao, sweetie, what are you doing up?" Her mother spoke from the door, entering quickly. Ran froze, her throat clenching. She wasn't a good liar. Her mother would see through it. She lowered her head and shook it slowly. "Oh, what happened to your bed, love?" Ran shook her head again. "It's ok dear. You must have been sweaty from the fever, after all. It's ok. Come on, let's get you into a bath." The pilot let her mother lead her into the family bathroom and get her into the tub. She didn't relax until the woman left.

With a sigh the pilot settled into the warm soapy water. She loved her family, but they were a tad overprotective. Four years ago there had been a horrible rebellion of the workers on Arcadia. The ruling nobles had been too strict and too harsh towards the Fourth and Fifth level and the people rebelled. Of course, those that lived off mainland, on the peripheral islands, joined in. In mere days it turned into a bloodbath. The workers were demanding better conditions, less work time and more provisions only to get shot or butchered on sight by the soldiers of the royal army. That is also the time when the soldiers got their red uniforms. To conceal the blood.

Ran's father had been in the army back then, too. He supported the nobles and their cruel ways. She remembered the way her dad and her uncle argued for days at a time. Since they were in the Third circle they were relatively safe, however, the streets were rather tense. Ran, Shrimp and Bohai weren't allowed out of the house for days. Her uncle and aunt ended up supporting the rebels. They gave them food and machinery, helping their cause. That's when all family hell broke loose. Her mother had stayed in her room, crying for days while her father hunted his own brother. Ran ended up in the middle of it all. She loved all of her family, so she ended up delivering things to her aunt and uncle in hiding. She enjoyed seeing Shrimp and Bohai, too. When her father found out, well, let's say it hadn't been pretty. She ran away. She chose to be free from all of that. So she flew away from Arcadia, the exploding island full of battle cries in the background.

She dreamt of that for days after arriving to the Blue Sea. Of course, returning two years later hadn't been easy, but her family had worked out their differences by then. Bohai had joined the army. Shrimp had started working with his father. Her aunt was a baker and her mom a famous artist. There were small changes after the rebellion, however, nothing much. She knew that, half of the time, her family merely pretended to be civil. She trusted her cousins, though. The two had never betrayed her. She would always trust them.

Ran got up from her bath and dried off. It was time to play pretend and be a good girl.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace and Thatch sat on the grassy shore, waiting for the doc. The woman was searching for her map of the island. She had a detailed explanation of which plant grew where that she used every time she came. Jade appeared and motioned for the duo to follow her. The Commander and the young pirate jumped to their feet, at the ready. They each picked up a large back basket without complaints. The doc led them uphill and towards a lush valley full of yellow flowers. The island was small, uninhabited by men and it was almost like paradise.

Colorful birds were flying around, calling to each other. Smaller animals were running around, larger hiding deeper in the forest. There were trees everywhere, growing strong, thick and healthy. There were various bushes, flowers and vines growing wild in the forest.

Ace wondered around while Thatch helped the doc. He had left his back bag with the two and would be back later to help again. Now, he wanted to explore. Jade hadn't been too happy about his 'adventure time' but after he had promised to be careful with the plants, she had allowed him to leave. The pirate wondered around for a while until stumbling upon something weird. A fire pit. He remembered doc saying that the island was inhabited. Why would there be a fire pit then? Ace saw footprints leading away from the campsite and decided to follow silently. He was on full alert now.

The recently made path led him all the way through the forest and to the shore. He noticed all the crumpled leaves and stomped on bushes and even some broken branches. He could almost guess that this was the doing of pirates. He didn't want to admit it, but there were some less-than-likeable pirates in the New World. Obviously, these weren't aware that this was Whitebeard territory. Or that most of the herbs on the island were medicinal. Jade would have a field day.

Ace crept all the way to the end of the tree line and scouted the area carefully. He saw the pirate galleon first and then the rowdy crowd that was making lunch on the beach. They had obviously caught an animal and were making themselves comfortable, partying. Ace resisted the urge to go and join them and turned around. He needed to consult with Thatch and doc before acting. He wasn't a Captain anymore. His stomach growling the young pirate begrudgingly walked back to the valley.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran went back to the Sparrow that night. She used the same clothes as before, and the same route. Her feet were a bit sore from all the jumps and lands, but she would be fine after a while. She had fixed a part of the wing last night. It looked good so far. There were gears and wires connecting the body to the wing. If you looked hard enough, they almost seemed like muscles of a bird's wing.

Ran hoped to be done with the first quarter of the wings tonight and start on the mechanism for the next. The fall and the slow burning fire had melted the gold even further into the iron, the patchwork seemed even sturdier now. True, the bars on the belly had taken a bit of a hit, as they were still bent in odd ways, but that was simple. All she needed to do was to heat them up and straighten them. All in all, she would be able to get off of Arcadia by the end of the week.

The pilot worked fast, under the light of a single oil lamp, without breaks. She needed to get this done as quickly as possible. She needed to fly again. Most of all, Ran wanted to leave this island. It wasn't her home. It wasn't a place that she came back to. It was simply somewhere where she had existed in the past. She didn't have many friends here beside her cousins. She wasn't very attached to Arcadia. She even hated it a bit. The strict rules, the harsh treatment, the constant surveillance, the nobles and the working class. She really disliked the way her island was. She wished that there was a chance for piracy here. She liked how some of the people at the Blue Sea could live by their own rules. She respected it. Ran, too, had chosen to live by her own rules, regardless of the consequences. Because of that, she could never live on Arcadia permanently.

Ran connected the last gears and wires for the night and stood up. She threw a black cover over her glider and smiled fondly at it. Just a little while longer, and they would soar again. A bulky helmet on the metal stairs caught her eye. She stared at it for a while, but then she dismissed the idea of core connecting. At least for now. Ran left the garage, taking her oil lamp with her. The Sparrow and the helmet stayed in the dark, almost sad-looking at the young girl's departure.

~~~~pb~~~~

The three Whitebeard pirates waited until dawn to check out the guests on the island. Jade had been awake most of the night collecting plants. Ace remembered waking up a few times, as usual, and seeing her walk back to the camp and then away again. She had forbidden them to start a fire and instead led them to a place where there were some kind glowing bushes. Doc had explained the luminescence to the two men, but they tuned out in the middle of her botanical lesson. However, Ace had gotten an idea from it.

When the trio got to the beach the unwelcome pirates were loading their ship. Thatch came out of the trees and approached the group. The Commander was noticed almost immediately. There were various kinds of weapons pointed at the man pretty soon.

"I'm Thatch, 4th Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, this is our territory. State your business." Ace was surprised at how mature and serious the man sounded at the moment. The raven leaned against a tree, on alert, but relaxed. He knew that Thatch was fully capable of defending himself.

"Whitebeard Pirates? Hahahaha!" The crew started laughing. "As if we'd believe that Whitebeard Pirates went around with only three members?"

"Why not?" Thatch shrugged, smiling.

"Well then... Even better for us. New to the New World and already having a chance to make a name for ourselves! Get them!" And the crew attacked. Thatch sighed and drew his swords, ready to clean up. Ace pushed himself off the tree and prepared to defend himself. And maybe attack a bit. He saw doc smile beside him and twirl a scalpel in her hand.

"You asleep, Ace?" Thatch yelled, pulling back a bit. No matter the strength, a lot of attackers at once were a bit of a nuisance, even for a Commander.

"As if!" Ace yelled and jumped forward, yelling out his signature move. "Hiken!"

**That's all folks! **

**Okei, so I'm winging it here a bit with:**

**Marco – We don't really know how good of a Haki user he is, but I suspect that he is pretty amazing, since he is Whitebeard's first mate and all that.**

**Ace – He does have Haoshoku Haki (Emperor's disposition) and it is shown in the Marineford Arc that he is aware that he has it, even though he is never seen using it. He even recognizes that Luffy has the same type of Haki. There isn't any info on whether Ace can, or can't use Haki.**

**Arcadia – they have rocks. Not like Vearth on Skypea, but they have coal for their machines, as the island is based on steampunk. Therefore, coal and rocks are very much needed. Their primary materials are clouds, though, just like all the other Sky Islands. **

**Ran's family – They all have wings, Ran doesn't, that's why she feels a bit inferior and like an outsider. Also, Ran's father doesn't abuse her or anything, he just believes in the system. He thought that what he was doing was right. He just wanted to protect his family.**

**I'm probably forgetting something… Ah well… Cheers peeps :3**

**Savage Kill: Firefly isn't a well-known series, it's a pretty old one, I guess. It had a movie made along with it. I love it, it's witty, interesting, new and fresh :D If you're into Star Wars and that kind of stuff, look it up :)**

**Oh man, that golem version is hilarious xD Now I'm going to be seeing that whenever I write about them xD**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter :D**


	12. Rock N Roll

**Welcome ladies and gents! **

**How are you fine people today? I understand that my updates are getting slower and slooooower, and I am sorry, but my exams are getting harder and harder. xD**

**Thank you anniewanny2 and ZabuzasGirl for the favs and the reviews! Savage Kill, you are my buddy :3 Buuudeeeeh *_***

**I love hearing your thoughts people, do come and talk to me :D **

**Chapter 12: Rock N Roll – Avril Lavigne **

Three days after getting back on Moby Dick, stories about the unusually exciting herb gathering trip were still circling. With no signs of stopping. Truth be told, Ace was getting a tad annoyed by the whole thing. There had been three of them, each quite a capable fighter, however, Thatch had made out Ace's attacks to be some kind of a heroic act. Now, whenever Ace passed some of the crew in the hallway, or on deck, they would act out the battle, with one side being enemy pirates and another Ace and his flames. Not to get him wrong, at first, the raven had basked in the attention. Then, it had become funny to see his brothers make up different attacks that the Logia definitely did not have. And in the end, it started getting fairly annoying.

Now he understood why Thatch laughed when Ace had tried to say that he hadn't been all that great, and that the Commander shouldn't spread spun stories. Since the pompadour hadn't stopped retelling the epic story of Portgas D. Ace, the raven went to doc. That didn't go too well either. After maybe an hour of being ignored, he tried bowing, asking very politely, definitely not begging nor groveling. In the end, the woman exploded and literally threw him out of the medical wing, telling him not to come back unless he had injuries. Maybe he hadn't been too tactful there. But it had been worth a try.

Next, Ace went to Leo. The blonde laughed at him first, and then laughed some more. In the end, he told the raven to wait it out. Once the crew got wind of something like that, they wouldn't let it go for a while. A new thing would come along pretty soon, Leo had said, and then, they will forget all about your epic battle. This didn't comfort Ace in the least. He sought out Marco next. If there was one thing that the flaming bird was, that was influential. Ace suspected that the man had a serious OCD problem. But, his control freak persona aside, Marco was rather helpful. In fact, he told Ace that all he had to do was outshine the epic tale that Thatch had been spreading. And that is exactly what Ace did.

It was late, and most of the crew was out cold. Their alcohol supply had been replenished and they had partied well into the night. Ace had pulled back a little today, preparing to set his plan in motion. The night before he had snuck into doc's office to use her tools. With them he made a gooey, green mass, he washed the tools thoroughly, too, wouldn't want doc coming after him, and put the goo in a jar, careful not to get any on himself. Having evidence on his person would be a dead giveaway that he was the culprit. So Ace fetched the jar tonight from his personal belongings, and crept up to Thatch. The Commander was laying on the deck, dead to the world and oblivious to the impending danger. Ace crouched next to the drunken man, cackling maliciously, and opened the jar. Using doc's disposable surgical gloves, he started spreading the green goo onto the Commander's hair. Next he carefully rubbed it in, stopping a few times, when it looked like Thatch might wake up, and made it back into the usual hairdo. In the end, the job was done, and he was home-free and hoping that his little stunt had worked. Not only would it be hilarious, but it would get the attention, finally, off of him. Ace threw out all the evidence of his crime next, making sure that no-one would catch him. He had learned one or two things about pranks growing up with Sabo and Luffy.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran couldn't help it. The temptation was too much. With only a quarter of one wing to go, she took a small break and picked up the old core connector. It was a terribly bulky helmet, heavy in her hands. She fiddled with it for a while, recognizing Shrimp's work on some parts. Each mechanic had his or her own signature. The way they spun wires, put gears, imagined solutions, even if they were right or left handed. It all went into their work. Shrimp's was just as distinct. She had learned a long time ago to tell apart her uncle's, Shrimp's and Bohai's work.

Ran flipped the helmet around once again. It lay, harmless, in her hands. She took a deep breath and made her decision. The next few moments were fast. Her heart had started fluttering in her chest as she undid the breast plate of the Sparrow and plugged in the wires that Shrimp had recently changed on the helmet. Ran caressed the unhurt eye of her bird and whispered.

"Take care of me now, old friend." And then she slipped the helmet onto her head.

Nothing happened. The thing probably didn't even work. It was old, for Calypso's sake. She went to take off her helmet when she heard it. Soft chirping. A bird was singing somewhere. Ran looked around, searching for the sound. It was coming from the core. She bent forward, squinting. She could see a shape in the glowing orb. She bent even further forward and the singing got louder.

There was a tiny black bird flying around in the core. It almost looked like a play of light, a shadow, but if you looked closely, you could see it. Ran smiled softly as the bird did air tricks much like the pilot did herself.

"Hello there." The pilot greeted. The bird chirped, as if acknowledging her presence. Ran couldn't help but feel giddy. There she was, core connecting. She couldn't see why it had been so bad. Why was this forbidden? Why would someone stay here, instead of going back? The small shadow bird called out again. It was standing still, now, looking at the newcomer. Ran gave it yet another smile. "Did you get tired?" She asked the small animal. It chirped again. "You aren't going to fly anymore?" The bird sang a longer tune. "Why don't you show me your pretty wings?" And the bird did.

Ran stumbled back as the Sparrow moved suddenly, the gears hissing and turning, un-oiled, the wires pulled at each other, some of them snapping, and the wings that she had barely attached to the glider spread, creaking. The pilot looked up at the machine, her eyes wide, heart thumping insanely fast. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or terrified. This shouldn't be possible. The wings couldn't hold their weight yet. They shouldn't be able to. She hadn't finished her work yet.

Ran sat on the ground, mind blown, until the bird from the core called out again. The pilot realized just then, that she had fallen down in her shock. Her legs wouldn't obey her. She was laughing suddenly. The Sparrow lives. He is alive and would fly once more. He wanted to fly with her once more.

~~~~pb~~~~

Let's get one thing straight. Ace wasn't a very patient person. He was stubborn, rash, reckless and more than often quite insane. His impatience, however, it had gotten quite better during his years with Luffy. Sure, more than once, errr always, he would explode at the younger brother and solve the problem with his fists. But, after Sabo's death, Ace changed his ways. Not really. He had tried, though. He was still just as impatient as ever, but he could hold it in for a while.

Which brings us to the current situation. Ace spent the day after putting the green goo on his friend's hair in anticipation. He kept looking at Thatch during breakfast so much that Marco pulled him aside later and told him that it was perfectly fine to play for the other team as long as Pops knew. Ace didn't quite get it, but he nodded to the phoenix and ran off to stalk Thatch. It was in the late hours of the morning that Leo found the raven and dragged him away from his 'position of advantage' a.k.a. the crow's nest. The second division was in charge of communications and it wasn't the best of tasks for our favorite Logia today. Not only did it frustrate him, because he couldn't see Thatch who was working on deck, but he was also pretty absentminded. More than once, he had to ask the person on the other side of the Den Den line to repeat.

It was understandable that Ace didn't do too well with waiting. He had grown up on his own, taking what he needed and when. There hadn't been anyone else until he was a bit of an older kid, and Sabo had never made Ace wait. In fact, his brother had often been just as impatient as Ace, but his extensive schooling on manners had broken that trait in early childhood. So when the duo got together, they didn't really put much on hold. And Luffy... Well... Luffy kind of just fueled that.

"Hey! Anyone there?" The voice from the Den Den Mushi caught the pirate's attention. Ace blinked a couple of times, trying to collect himself. He had drifted off into a flashback. He missed his brothers.

"I'm here, sorry." The raven said into the speaker.

"So, you wrote all of that down?" The voice of their allies asked once more. Ace looked at his empty paper. He rubbed his temple. Damn. He wished he wasn't on this duty today.

"Sorry, could you repeat it, please?" The voice laughed.

"It's a surprise to find such a polite pirate. Alright then, you ready to write?"

"Yes." Ace straightened in his chair, positioning his pencil.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran went to the library that day. Her mother had barely let her go, but since Shrimp would keep her company, the woman had caved. Her cousin had insisted that they drive there, even though it was on the same level. Ran accepted, even though she wasn't thrilled about it. It was a short ride. A couple of minutes later, Shrimp parked Betty and they got out and locked the vehicle.

The library was a large, construction cloud and metal building. It had giant golden and silver statues on each side of the decorated gate. They both represented huge golems, who stood with their hands raised, as if stopping people from entering. It was said that those golems had once guarded the library, as living, moving robots. They were considered the guardians of knowledge, as they had supposedly gathered all the books that lay alphabetized on the long shelves of the library. They stood, even now, with their palms raised, stopping all the abusers of knowledge from entering the sacred library. Not like that stopped the nobles from using the information inside to make war machines.

Ran entered first, Shrimp following her. He didn't like going to the library much. He didn't enjoy the smell of old pages, or the hours of searching for the right book. He preferred to have Ran go and find all that they needed and then bring it back home. Reading, that Shrimp loved. He liked to study the different patterns, structures and ways of using the Gear Technology in his work.

The two walked down the circular staircase and into the wide room below. There were no guards. The library didn't need any. The rooms were mostly square shaped, with high ceilings. They had cases and cases of books, carefully sorted. Each had a ladder, allowing the readers to climb up and reach the higher shelves. There were also a couple of tables, surrounded by chairs, allowing the readers to get comfortable while doing their research.

Ran quickly found the section that she needed. Gear Technology was some of the most visited themes on her agenda. Finding a book about core connecting was a bit harder, but she did find two that could contain something about it. Deciding that those were as good as it was going to get, the young pilot pulled them off the shell and blew the layer of dust away. Shrimp frowned at her choice of reading material.

"Let's hope uncle doesn't find out." He joked, but Ran knew better. His tone was flat, and the smile didn't reach his eyes. Her cousin was worried about her. She pulled out a chair and grabbed the oil lamp from the middle of the table, adjusting her lighting. Shrimp picked a book for himself and settled down next to her. He opened Gearing for Dummies and started skimming through. Ran sighed and placed her hands on the hard cover of her chosen books.

"I need this, Jinhai." Shrimp lowered his book and locked eyes with her. "I need my wings." Her cousin smiled sadly, his eyes darting to her wingless back.

"I get it, cuz. Trust me, I do." There was a small pause where Ran opened her book, thinking that the discussion was over. "But you need to tell me how to help you." The pilot raised her head, shaking it at him. She didn't want him involved. Shrimp gave her a grin. "Really? I'm working on golems, cuz. You think I'm worried about your dad yelling at me for helping you?" Ran tried to stifle her chuckling, but it failed.

"How in the White Sea did you know that I was still working on the Sparrow?" She asked after a bit. Shrimp raised a single eyebrow at her. "Ok. Ok." She raised her hands in mock surrender. Ran ignored the hopeful, puppy eyes that Shrimp was giving her and continued reading. After a while, the stare was getting annoying. He was trying to burn a hole in her forehead, wasn't he? Ran remembered a conversation that she and Ace had had a while back. She raised her head and locked gazes with a smug looking Shrimp. "You remember me telling you about Ace, right?" She asked.

"The cute pirate that has an old fashioned boss?" Shrimp was smirking even wider. Ran went to correct him that it was a Captain and not a boss but he continued. "Oh, and did I forget that you also called out his name in the heat of passion and that you may or may not have a crush on him but you surely want to fuck him? That Ace?" He leaned back in his chair, looking like some kind of a mafia boss, all proud. "Did I forget anything?"

"I also kissed him." Shrimp sat up straight in his chair, eyes bulging out in surprise. "Twice." Ran said with a smirk, watching his reaction with joy.

"Woah, you've been holding out on me, cuz." He leaned back again, this time smiling contently, as if he knew something that she didn't. "So, what about that Ace person?"

Ran pushed the strands of her hair that had fallen out of her bun back behind her ears. "He is a Devil Fruit user. A fire Logia. That means that he can turn any part of his body into flame." Shrimp nodded, smirking.

"Kinky." Ran reached over and knocked the book out of his hands.

"Ass." She was smiling. "Anyways, we had this insane idea while traveling together. Don't give me that look. So, we wanted to make a smaller boat for him. One that would use his Logia power to propel itself. Similarly to what I use for the Sparrow." She finished, looking at Shrimp. He scratched his head, thinking.

"Something along the lines of combining Flame Dials with AGT, like the Sparrow?" He asked.

"No. He won't be able to tune it. I tried to show him how, but he was horrible at it." Ran chuckled at the memory of Ace freaking out about the tiny gears.

"Impatient streak, eh? Doesn't matter, I have an idea what might work." Shrimp jumped up, leaving his book on the table. "Be right back." And he vanished into the bookcases.

~~~~pb~~~~

When night finally fell, Ace was practically jumping with joy. The dark was like the sign of liberation. It meant that he was free of his duties. Ace checked in his papers and ran up to the deck, bypassing the cafeteria. Leo stopped, staring at the quickly retreating back of his friend. It wasn't just strange for Ace to bypass the cafeteria after duties. It was impossible. He had to be sick. Leo ran after the raven, worried. The blonde caught up to his friend on deck.

"Ace! Hey, what's going on? Are you alright?" Leo grabbed Ace's shoulder, trying to stop him. The raven slipped from his grip and caught his hand, pulling him along.

"C'mon! Hopefully it's gonna work." With that, the young pirate pulled his former mentor to the center of the deck where Thatch had been working. They passed Marco on their way there. The Commander gave the duo a once over, his eyes looking bored. Once they reached Thatch, Leo realized what was making his friend so excited. Undoubtedly, he had a finger or two in the prank. Probably all ten.

Thatch was sitting on a box, drinking some booze and talking with his division members. The pirates around him were doing their best to be completely serious, however, some were snickering. Thatch was telling some story, completely oblivious to his shining problem. His unique pompadour hairstyle was glowing like a bright beacon in the dark night. Leo couldn't suppress his laughter fast enough. It came out as a snort.

"Ah! Ace! Leo! Come join us!" The duo walked over, taking a drink and sitting amongst the pirates.

"How's it going, Thatch? Feeling like a beacon to your division?" Thatch gave Ace a weird look, but left it alone as the surrounding pirates snickered. Leo took a sip of his drink, choosing to stay away from the soon-to-be-sensitive topic.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco had left the deck in favor of getting a drink and going to the crow's nest. He had taken the night shift again. From time to time, he needed a break. And time to do his paperwork. The aftermath of the Torres Islands incident was still following him like a bad dream. True, they had quite a few of those per year, but this was quite a feat. Human trafficking wasn't a normal element of those problems, and Marco wasn't sure how to deal with the aftermath. He wanted to get all the sold slaves back to their families, he really did, but he also didn't want to tango with the Tenryuubito. And slaves always involved Tenryuubito, one way or the other.

Marco sighed and took a sip from the bottle. He welcomed the burn of the alcohol and felt his mind relaxing from the overdrive that it had been in. Marco leaned against the mast and looked up. It was cloudy, but you could still see the slowly appearing stars. The night was darkening and the pirates lit up lanterns on the ship to guide their way. The Commander sat on the railing and looked down, a bubbly feeling rising to his chest at the sight of the partying family. Even after his years on the Moby Dick, he still felt like that all the time.

"Drinking alone again?" Izo sat next to the phoenix, smiling knowingly. Marco sighed, but didn't retaliate. That would've been just what the other Commander wanted. The two sat there for a while, watching the commotion around Thatch and his glowing hair. The man himself was still oblivious to his shining hairdo, which was a miracle, as the crew wasn't being too subtle with their reaction. Marco would bet that Ace had something to do with the prank. As soon as the phoenix had seen the hair-beacon from the crow's nest, all his suspicions about Ace's sexuality confusion had vanished.

"What do you want, Izo?" Marco finally caved. The kimono wearing Commander looked up from the deck, an amused smile on his face.

"Ace has really done it this time." Izo laughed, watching as Thatch frowned at his snickering division members. Ace and Leo were still with the group, the raven watching his work proudly. Marco frowned at the pink Commander. Obviously the man was beating around the bush. The phoenix usually didn't have a problem with that, but today, he was a tad edgy. He wanted Izo to speak his mind openly. Marco sighed, calming himself down. He was just frustrated. Terribly. The first mate took another swig from his bottle before Izo took it out of his hand. The other Commander drank, too, and then lowered the bottle on the wooden railing, looking at it as if it held all the answers. The kimono wearing man ignored the commotion on deck as Haruta and Jozu joined the crowd that was making fun of Thatch. Apparently, he was still oblivious to the fact that he was now, literally, a beacon.

"The slavery thing bothering you?" Izo finally spoke, making the noise and laughter on the deck seem far away. He was looking at Marco. The phoenix knew his friend well. He wasn't talking about the thing that was bothering him.

"Of course, yoi." Marco didn't have the problem that Izo did. Izo wasn't good at showing his real motives. He was secretive, cunning and liked to hide behind a front, no matter how much he talked about feelings and romance. Maybe that is why he got along so well with Ran. The phoenix, on the other hand, he was tight lipped. He kept his personal life to himself. However, when confronted, he wasn't afraid to talk about his musings or dilemmas. Unlike his kimono wearing crew mate. "I've been with this crew for too long, yoi." Marco spoke after a while. "Being in the protective shadow of a Yonko, being the first mate, I feel like I can do anything. And then, something like this, where I can't lift a finger without causing trouble for Pops and the men, comes along. I wish I could get wasted for one night to clear my mind, yoi."

Getting something off his chest always helped Marco. He had a tendency to overthink and complicate things. Telling Izo was safe. Izo was a trustworthy comrade, no matter how meddlesome. He knew when to keep his fingers out of the mess and just lend an ear. Maybe a thought, too. Marco trusted all the Commanders, but he had been the closest to Thatch and Izo. Maybe it had been their unique ways that had drawn the first mate to them. Or the way that the two had bickered in the beginning. Well, more like argued. About every single little thing. Now, it wasn't as bad, but they often had long conversations in which they tried to convince each other about different things. On the other side, Marco often had to listen to the why-Thatch-is-annoying speech and the thousand-of-reasons-why-Izo-needs-help talk. He sighed on instinct. He wanted a vacation. Or a drink. The latter was possible so he took a long swing from the bottle again.

"You do more than other people even think of doing. I'm sure that we will find a way to fix this." Izo smirked. "Right under the Tenryuubito noses, too." He seemed a tad too excited about that. Marco chuckled and handed the booze over. Izo declined. "I was in navigation today. We are going to Wano Kuni." Marco turned to look at his fellow Commander, startled. Izo seemed sad and lost. His face had that faraway look. Marco knew that look. He had seen that face many times. Even on his own face.

"Ace, you little shit! You started this! Remember that! You started this!" Thatch yelled from the deck, breaking the moment. Izo smiled and waved at Marco, climbing down. Marco took another swig and grinned. About time, Thatch, the phoenix thought. He would be willing to bet that the Commander secretly liked the glowing hair.

~~~~pb~~~~

It took a while for Thatch to stop chasing Ace around Moby Dick. The Commander had tried to toss his fellow prankster overboard, but the raven was just a tad too slippery. Whitebeard and his crew laughed as the duo chased each other around the ship, the glowing hair alerting everyone to the Commander's position. In the end, Thatch gave up and started dancing with the other partying pirates, fully enjoying his glowing hair. Ace plopped down next to Leo again, and took up his abandoned bottle of booze. It was going to be yet another party on the deck of Moby Dick.

At some point, doc patted Ace on the shoulder and whispered a praise into his ear. The raven had actually paid attention to her botany lesson on the island and had used it to make the glowing goo. Leo had vanished into the crowd somewhere, and Ace was pretty sure that he had seen Izo drag the poor blonde with him. Soon, the young pirate, too, joined the jumping crew.

When the raven took a break from dancing and singing and zeroed in on the food plates. There, he saw Penny attempting to do damage control on the quantity of meat and booze being consumed. She seemed to be failing, as Kondor, who was grilling the beef beside her, was drinking from his wine bottle constantly and giving the plates of food to the passing pirates. Ace went to help out, which meant eat, but decided to stay away from the girl once he saw the look on her face. She was grinning. Smiling like it was the end of the world and she had no worries whatsoever. Ace felt a small smile make way onto his own face. Some things were hard to overcome, but it seemed that Penny was on her way to fight through.

"Ace-sama!" The tiny girl noticed him and waved him over. The pirate complied, noticing how Kondor put the fire in the grill out and left them alone. "Here you go! Good job today!" Penny yelled over the music and laughter and piled up his plate.

"If preforming my daily duties gets me a food bonus, I wonder what doing extra work will get me?" Ace joked, not really thinking about his words. Maybe it was the booze, or the fact that the other two women that he had interacted over the past few months were Ran and Jade, who didn't mind constant flirtation. The innuendo of his sentence caught up to Ace quickly, and he started spinning possible scenarios through his head, watching Penny carefully for her reaction.

The girl was a tomato red, but her eyes were determined. She was in the company of pirates, not perfect gentlemen. No matter how nice and protective they were, there were some things that were green in the pirate everyday life and red in hers. And if she wanted to stay in this world, she needed to overcome that.

"A bottle of rum." She replied, head held high. Ace could feel his face morph from anticipation, to surprise and then finally to joy. She was finally dropping the pirate jokes and not crying at an insensitive remarks.

"Whereah?" An arm wrapped around Ace's shoulder and someone leaned heavily on him for support. The raven looked to his right only to see a smashed Leo. Well, Izo and Thatch definitely had a hand in this. "Whereahs thsa rum?" The blonde asked again, looking at Penny. The girl glanced at Ace, unsure what to do. She didn't have a lot of experience dealing with smashed pirates. The Whitebeard crew didn't have many lightweights.

"Right here, Leo. C'mon. Let's go." And with that Ace attempted to get his drunken friend off deck and into his hammock, but that didn't quite work. Leo was a very touchy feely drunk. That meant that the raven had to stop the blonde from kissing him and hugging him one too many times before they even crossed the deck. And when they did, Leo decided that he really didn't want to go anywhere, so he sat down and wouldn't budge. Ace sighed in the end and plopped down next to his drunken former mentor, enjoying the atmosphere of the party.

Later, Thatch and Izo joined the duo, the former's hair still glowing. They brought booze and food, which Ace was grateful for. They attempted to feed Leo something to soak up the alcohol. Of course, the keyword is attempted. In the midst of Thatch holding the blonde's mouth open while Izo forced bread and meat in Ace felt his focus slipping and he dozed off, his head hitting his plate, as usual.

**That's all folks!**

**I enjoyed writing Marco, even though it was a bit scary! I hope the chapter wasn't too confusing, as I wrote it in sections, and not in one go :( **

**Savage Kill: You're American, right? I'm so jealous! You guys have so many epic sweets places xD I really miss the US ' 3' **

**Oh Gods…. Das derp face xD Omg! Ahahahahahha! This is golden xD**

**I hope that this chapter gives you a bit more insight into the dreams :D Core connecting is like mind connecting, I got the idea from the Klabautermann, but went a bit further, since I was inspired by steampunk, too :D**

**anniewanny2: Thank you very much for your compliments! I'm glad that you feel like my characters are 'alive'. I feel like a lot of writers don't consider their characters as people and keep them too consistent. People are pretty unpredictable :P **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**ZabuzasGirl: Hope you enjoyed, love :D**


	13. Heaven Knows

**Welcome ladies and gents! **

**Oh I am over the moon! I have received so many nice reviews! Happy happy singing the happy sooooong~**

**I have realized that a character named Ran already exists in One Piece. She is a Kuja Pirate. I was so sad when I found out that, I tend to try to be as original as possible. T_T**

**Also, I can't seem to make myself watch the Marieford arc, so I have no idea what I'm going to do when it comes to that…**

**In this chapter, we finally crack a bigger plot! Mwahahaha~**

**One question for you guys, would you like Chameleone to make an appearance in this fic?**

**Anyways, I would like to thank Satine Gold on the alert and Wren on the alert, fav and author fav *_* Oh my gooosh! I feel so honored :D**

**I would also like to send out a huge hug to Savage Kill, anniewanny2, ZabuzasGirl and Wren for the reviews!**

**Here we go,**

**Chapter 13: Heaven Knows – The Pretty Reckless**

Ace spent his days in anticipation. It had been a while after he had made the pompadour glow and no retaliation had come yet. He was cautious, borderline paranoid, waiting for the Commander to strike back. But it wasn't happening. There was mysterious silence from Thatch. It was very unusual and that worried Ace. He expected the pompadour haired man to lash out, to prank him back or at least to act mean or sarcastic. That was just the way that Thatch was. And Ace was used to it. But not this. Not this pleasant front that the Commander had been putting on. The man hadn't even reacted to the prank. Maybe Ace needed to go a bit bigger. Maybe he hadn't made enough of an impact. Just as he was preparing to try again, on a bigger scale of course, came the Commander's retaliation.

"Morning, Kondor." The raven greeted, leaning on the serving counter. "Hey, Penny." He enjoyed the smile that the girl gave him. It was pure and beautiful. He grinned right back. "The usual, please."

"A-aah~ Ace, my boy! You mind running an errand for me? Commander Marco is being ridiculous with his work again." The cook ended his words with a swig from his wine bottle. Ace was still surprised at just how much the old man could drink. "He needs to eat, that reckless man."

"Sure, just let me eat something. I'm not very good at functioning before breakfast." Ace answered, taking one of the finished meals and started gobbling it up. Kondor laughed and handed the raven some more plates.

"Of course, of course." The old man smiled. "I saw that rascal Thatch early this morning. He was looking for you, Ace, my boy." The raven paused in his eating to raise his eyebrow at the old cook. The teen swallowed and opened his mouth to ask about the nature of the Commander's visit, but didn't get the chance. "A-aah~ Here you go! Enjoy, my boy." The last tray was passed to Ace and he shrugged, figuring that, if it was important, he would find out later.

The young pirate took his food, with some difficulty, and walked to his usual seat. There weren't many people in the cafeteria. There were a couple of people from 7th division eating and chatting in the corner. A few hung-over pirates were sitting in groups of two or three and lazily munching their breakfast. Leo was nowhere to be found. He had been up late last night on watch though, so Ace understood. Apparently, they were going to stop at a Winter Island before heading further into the New World and towards the Wano Kuni. Ace hadn't visited that place yet. He was excited and anxious to get there. He had heard a lot from his brothers about the country and how it was pretty isolated from the rest of the world. The raven liked the idea of a place that doesn't bow down to the World Government. He couldn't wait to dock there.

Ace placed his trays on the able and sat in his usual chair, only to fall on his ass. Growling, the young pirate picked himself up, trying to see what went wrong and ignoring the snickering of the present pirates. On further inspection, he saw that his chair had been dismantled, causing him to fall after sitting. Ace shook his head, smirking at Thatches childish attempt at retaliation and pulled another chair for himself. The raven tapped this seat with his hand, testing it. He deemed it safe and settled down.

The young pirate picked up the ketchup and shook the bottle. He liked to put ketchup on his eggs. For some reason, he found it delicious. What he didn't expect, and most certainly wasn't usual, was the soft sizzling sound that came from the bottle he squinted at it, raising the ketchup to his face. Unfortunately, Ace realized a bit too late what was going to happen. The bottle cap popped open and sprayed all over the young pirate's face, and shooting towards the ceiling. Ace sat there, blinking in surprise. Well, he had to congratulate Thatch on his creativity. It was most certainly inventive, but still, it wasn't as good as the glowing hair. Besides, Ace was used to a face full of food due to his narcolepsy problem. Chuckling with the other pirates in the cafeteria, he was most certainly the center of attention by now, the raven wiped his face with a hand and gave a grin.

"Good one, Thatch." He murmured as if the Commander could hear him. Next, the pirate tasted his ketchup and decided that it was alright and he spread it across his eggs. He carefully poked all of the food that Kondor hadn't prepared in front of him and deemed it safe. Nodding to himself the pirate dug into his breakfast, content. Ace didn't mind a bit of pranking, as long as he could still eat his food. No one came in between him and his food. Since this was fairly harmless, the raven could handle it.

"Good morning, Ace-sama." Penny joined him on the opposite side of the table. She placed a tray of candy apples in front of her and smiled at the raven. He mumbled something through a mouthful of food that Penny couldn't quite decipher, but she figured it was a greeting. The young girl had seen Ace's mishap with the chair and the ketchup. She figured that the candy apples might cheer him up a bit. She wasn't quite sure who had made them, but they had been left in the kitchen, so that meant that they were up for grabs. By now, the young girl had gotten used to the rules of the cafeteria.

"How do you like it here so far?" Ace asked in between plates. He drank some juice and continued shoveling food into the black hole of his stomach. Penny cringed at the way that he ate, but didn't avert her eyes. She was going to get used to this. It was a part of being a pirate.

"I love it. You are so free. You guys don't have any rules but the ones that you all decided upon. It's amazing." She smiled shyly and Ace noticed the way she fumbled with her apron. He swallowed.

"Your folks were pretty strict?" He realized that he didn't really know a lot about Penny. Somehow, their conversations were always about him. She always wanted to hear about his adventures, his former crew, the Grand Line, the East Blue, everything. In the beginning, Ace wasn't too keen on sharing all about his life with her, but soon, he got very comfortable with the small girl. The way her eyes lit up whenever she listened to him was absolutely adorable. Her lips parted slightly as she barely breathed, awaiting the culmination of his stories.

Penny was a little gem, a rarity, for sure. She wasn't a typical, hardcore pirate that you met while traveling. She would rather smile and cook for everyone than pick up a weapon and fight, and Ace could respect that. He wondered what would happen if this tiny girl met Ran. The bold and insane, but lonely pilot. The two sometimes overlapped in the raven's mind, due to the views that they shared. It would be an amusing friendship for sure.

"-only with my father." Ace realized that Penny was answering him.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

The girl giggled, unfazed by his short attention span. "I lived only with my father. He was pretty strict. But I understood." She looked to her lap. "My mother left him for the sea. He loved her. And she loved him very much. But she didn't want to bring him trouble, so she left me with him and went away." By now, Ace had paused his eating to listen to her. The story touched a nerve, and he struggled whether to share his own story with her or not. "I remember her voice. It was beautiful. I love my father, but I really want to meet my mother."

"She a pirate?" Ace asked, drinking more juice.

"I think so." Penny answered. She still wasn't making eye-contact with him. She seemed embarrassed.

"Do you know her name?" Ace didn't want to push the girl, but he wanted to help her. Penny nodded.

"Deanne D. Derosiers." The raven raised an eyebrow. He had never heard of that name. She either didn't have a bounty, or she wasn't a pirate. Besides, that name was a bit strange, too. Then again, he had heard quite a few ridiculous names.

"Never heard of her." Penny's face fell. "But that doesn't mean anything." Ace reassured. "You should talk to Marco. He might know." Penny nodded, smiling. She put her elbows on the table and leaned on her hands, watching the pirate finish his meal with gusto. Ace drank the rest of his juice and stacked up his trays. He grabbed one of the candy apples and winked at Penny, taking the trays back to Kondor. The man passed him the first mate's food and instructed him to make the phoenix eat. Ace accepted his important mission and left, biting into the sweet treat, only to spit it out. It wasn't an apple. Oh, it wasn't an apple at all. Ace's eyes watered from the spicy onion that he had bitten into moments before.

"I'll get you back, Thatch!" The raven yelled as loud as he could, laughing. This was going to be a blast.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke up late that day, and sat up in her bed, panting. She could still hear the storm in her ears. She could still smell the salty air of the sea. The air in Arcadia was fresh and cold, but never salty. It never carried that scent of the sea. But, what stayed with her the longest, was the feeling of hot touches on her skin.

Those dreams had started after she had begun working on the new design of the Sparrow's wings. She still dreamt of the seas and the storms. However, she wasn't flying in it anymore. Instead, she was on a ship, watching the storm rage through a small, round window, safely out of the cold. Not that she was paying much attention to the weather outside, that is. She was too busy enjoying the warm hands on her body. They weren't shy. They touched everywhere. And damn, they made her feel good. The further the dream went, the hotter the touches got, bringing her to the edge. She never saw the guy's face, as he was behind her. She watched the waves instead, through the small window, while she enjoyed the pleasure that he gave her. But, she didn't need to see him to know who he was. She recognized those scorching kisses on her back and neck. She had taken them from him once before, after all. Ran was having wet dreams about Ace. And it was freaking the hell out of her.

"Morning, cuz." Shrimp's voice greeted the still dazed girl. She whirled around, searching for her tall relative. He was sitting on her desk, flipping through the AGT books that were open on it. "How's Ace?" The cocky mechanic smirked.

"Jinhai, you ass." Ran threw off her covers and headed for the bathroom. She needed a cold shower. And some time to think. Shrimp chuckled and put the books in her drawer. Better hide them, just in case uncle snoops around. He shook his head at his little cousin's romance drama and headed downstairs to prepare some breakfast for them.

Ran stood under the stream of cool water, enjoying the feel of it on her skin. She couldn't help it. For some reason, she was attracted to Ace. She was afraid of being emotionally attached to him. Hell, she was afraid of being bound. She wanted to be close to someone, to trust them unconditionally, to be intimate with them. She often dreamed about it. The fairytale-like relationship. Ace somehow pulled her in. He was like a magnet, so bright, like the sun, calling to her. But, she knew, if you get too close to the sun, you get burnt.

The pilot sighed and moved the heat of the water from cold to hot. Soon the spray on her head and back became a slow burn, the bathroom steaming up. She smiled and rubbed herself with soap and shampoo without turning the water off. Fuck it. She would test it out. If it was too hot near the sun, she could always fly away. Making up her mind, Ran let the suds get washed out of her hair and turned the water off. She stepped out of the shower and dried herself quickly.

She inspected her form in the mirror. The contrast her blue eyes made against her chocolate hair was pretty, she decided. She liked her mouth, too. It was small and pouty, borderline cute. Her nose was flat somehow, she didn't like it too much, but it was hers. She looked like her father. Shrimp's facial features were so similar to her that they were often asked whether they were siblings. Ran was aware that she wasn't anything special. She wasn't the beautiful girl that everyone stared at when she entered the bar. Nope. She was the insane, drunk one dancing on the table. She smiled at her own reflection, noting how a tiny dimple appeared on one side of her mouth and she picked up her clothes, leaving to get dressed.

Purupurupuru!

Ran rummaged through her stuff and pulled out her blue Den Den Mushi. It was still ringing.

Kacha!

"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" The pilot spoke, a strange, nostalgic feeling in her stomach. She wasn't used to taking jobs while on Arcadia. It felt out of place, saying that sentence while not in the middle of the ocean, swaying on the waves.

"Ranmao! This is Elder Pinjao, I need a favor, lassie. I need you to hurry up that job." The older man sounded distressed. His voice was strained and worried, like he was at the end of the rope.

"What's wrong, Elder Pinjao?" Ran asked gently.

"Can you fly, lassie? Can you?" The old man answered quickly, his voice getting louder.

"I should be able to. I still haven't done a test flight, but according to my calculations, the Sparrow is ready for flight." The pilot told him, voice still calming. If Pinjao kept it up, he would have a heart attack. "Is everything alright, Elder Pinjao?" She was getting worried now. This was the first time she had heard the old man this upset.

"I hope so. I-I just need that favor now, lassie." Ran frowned at this.

"If you would give me the details, Elder." She interrupted him. He was clearly distraught. She needed as many details as he could give. The earlier she left, the faster she would finish the job.

"An acquaintance of mine is in a bit of a pinch. She and her associates need a ride to my home. At first, it wasn't urgent, but now, I can't get into contact with her. I'm getting worried, lassie." The old man explained, a bit calmer now.

"Are you sure that she is in danger? Maybe she just lost her Den Den Mushi?" Ran followed her logic.

"Impossible. You don't know this woman like I do. She is all about rules and promises." Elder Pinjao sighed. "Please. I need you to go there. At least just to check on them." His voice was even now, calm and steady. Ran sighed and nodded to herself.

"What is their location?" The pilot asked, giving in. She would have to risk it. Flying without a test run would be reckless and almost insane, but she would do it. Pinjao was her trusted friend and ally. She would believe in both her tuning ability and skill with AGT and the Sparrow. She knew that he wanted to fly.

"A small island on the Grand Line called Octavo. The town that they were staying in is called Varosh." The old man supplied.

"I understand. I've heard of that place. I have an Eternal Pose for a nearby island, Septimo. I will check in with you as soon as I land there." Ran paused shortly. "If I don't call in the next two days that means that my glider malfunctioned." There was silence on both sides of the line for a moment. Both knew what she meant. If the new Sparrow design failed, she would crash and probably die during her assignment. But, she was still willing to risk it.

"Be careful, Ranmao." Pinjao finally said. Then there was noise on his end of the call. "I need to go, lassie, stay safe." He paused for a second. She was going to speak when he interrupted. "Thank you, Ranmao. Thank you."

Kacha!

Ran sat still for a second, still in her towel, hair wet. Then she jumped up, leaving the Den Den Mushi on her bed. Ran crossed her room in seconds and opened the door. She could smell the pancakes that Shrimp was making downstairs.

"Shrimp!" She yelled. "I need your help!"

~~~~pb~~~~

Thatch and Marco were on watch together when the Winter Island appeared on the horizon. It was rare for two Commanders to be up in the crow's nest together, but there wasn't much work on the ship today, as most of the division members were on board. Rakuyo was the only absent Commander, and he had taken a small part of the 7th division with him. The snow had started falling a while ago and Thatch had brought the two some warmer clothes and a bottle of booze to warm them up. Marco, of course, didn't object.

Pretty soon, the crew was on deck, rejoicing in the white cover that the ship had gotten. Marco wasn't too sure who threw the first snowball, but pretty soon it was an all-out war. Thatch laughed and pointed out Ace, Leo and Penny, who had teamed up. Of course, the fire Logia wasn't such a good teammate, as he mostly got overly excited and melted the many snowballs that the small girl was making. Leo, on the other hand, was a formidable opponent, with his impressive aim and quite a bit of force in those slender arms. That is, until Thatch joined in. From above.

Marco laughed and evaded yet another snowball, letting it hit the pompadour in his face. Now most of the people on deck were aiming for the crow's nest, seeing Thatch as a perfect target. The position of advantage soon became bad, as most of the snow from the nest was used up in the retaliation and Thatch chose to climb down and strike back from the ground. The first mate leaned over the railing just in time to see the other Commander being bombarded with snowballs on his way down.

Stefan, Pops' dog, joined the crew, delighted about the snow. There's one thing about Stefan, though. He was a force. When that dog rammed into you, in joy, of course, he sent you flying on your ass. So now, on the slippery deck, in the midst of all the warring pirates, the dog was a blessing and a curse, depending who caught his eye. Marco saw the white puppy, as Pops called him, in the phoenixes opinion Stefan was anything but a puppy, jump on Ace and knock the unsuspecting raven to the floor. The dog got up and ran off, leaving a snoring pirate in his wake. Marco shook his head and smiled. Ace's narcolepsy was ridiculous.

The phoenix next felt someone pull his jacket and toss something cold down his shirt. He jumped away with a squeak, which he would never admit, and whirled around only to see a smirking Jade. She was all tucked into her white, warm coat and looking evil. Her hair and skin stood out strangely against the white of the snow and the blue of the sea behind her.

"Pops was looking for you." Doc spoke, a cloud of warm air visible at the edge of her lips. Marco frowned at her, still pissed about the snow down his back. "I'll take your post." She didn't leave any room for discussion. Marco sighed, pushing his anger down, like he was used to doing and schooled his face into that bored expression that he usually wore. He even gave her a small smile.

"Thanks." He told her, enjoying the twitch that her neck muscle gave. She was pissed. With that, the first mate left the crow's nest carefully, avoiding the flying snowballs and headed to the Captain's quarters. The old man would probably end up joining the snow fight soon. He needed to see what Pops wanted before that.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Pops?" Marco found his Captain in the cafeteria, sitting with Kondor and sipping sake. The blonde joined them, the old cook pouring a glass for his readily. "Doc told me that you asked to see me?"

"Yes." Kondor and Whitebeard exchanged long looks, as if they knew a secret that Marco didn't. "You were pretty upset about that slavery issue on Torentes, weren't you, son?" Whitebeard put his large, red cup down, looking at his son. Marco nodded without a word.

"A-aah~ Well, I tuned into the local gossip and found out something interesting, Commander Marco." Kondor spoke, getting the blonde's attention. "Apparently, Fish has been quite active. He has been trying to buy his way into the Zodiacs."

"You've got to be kidding?! Those Zodiacs?! Is he insane?" Marco looked to Pops, hoping that the old pirate would tell him that it's some kind of a sick joke. He next looked to Kondor, gaping. "Was he supplying them with slaves? Or targets?" Kondor shook his head.

"My source doesn't know much. It's all pretty hush hush." The cook drank some wine. "It's no secret that the Zodiacs have been doing hits for Marines, but they don't deal with anyone lower than a Rear Admiral. They shouldn't be taking orders from someone like Fish." The old cook took his bottle and stood. "I will keep an ear open, Captain, Commander, but do careful. We need to see just how much the Zodiacs are involved in this mess, before acting." With that, Kondor left towards the kitchen.

"You heard him." Whitebeard said, standing up, too. "We will do something about it, but only after we have enough information, son." Marco nodded and watched Pops leave, probably to join the snow war on deck.

The phoenix sat there for a while, nursing his alcohol. He drank the sake slowly, enjoying the burn and the short bubble-like feeling that came before his Devil fruit powers kicked in. Zodiacs. He had heard a lot about them during his years as a pirate. They were a troublesome bunch. Assassins for hire, organized in military fashion. They were as expensive as hell itself, but they finished the job or died trying. The Zodiacs used to be one of the stronger forces in the New World, influencing the Yonko and the World Government, but they pulled back at one point. Now, they were the monster waiting in the shadows. It was no secret that the Government used them for less than honorable hits.

Marco had never had a chance to encounter a Zodiac, at least he didn't know that he did, as they were good at blending in, but he had seen the aftermath of a Zodiac hit. Clean, methodical and thought through. It was a perfect assassination. As far as he knew, they had twelve sectors, each represented by a sign of the Zodiac, which had a Commander of sorts on top. Who they reported to, no one knew. Each sector had a special set of skills, accustomed to dealing with certain circumstances and type of hits.

The worst part of the organization though, was the way that they recruited and how they took requests. They mostly took young girls and boys from slave auctions and trained them in their code and fighting ways. Sure, they even had some people volunteer for the training. Those ended up dead and dumped somewhere, tortured, just in case that they were spies. You could join, but you had to be able to endure the training. Marco suspected that those people who went to the Zodiacs voluntarily were either a bit wrong in the head or just plainly sick. Another thing was, the phoenix had never heard of anyone leaving the organization. Except in a body bag, that is.

The way to place a hit was simple. You fill out all the information that you know, or want to put there, and attach the money. You leave the request in your mailbox and by tomorrow, it will be gone, sent to the Zodiac hideout and training grounds, where it would await for someone to accept the hit. If it was rejected, a note would be sent to you, along with a half of your paid sum.

They had enough trouble keeping themselves safe from the Zodiacs without people like Fish using their services. It was like an unspoken rule that the Zodiacs did only special favors for the Marines, in exchange for immunity, almost like the Shichibukai. Fish wasn't a high enough rank to use those bonuses. Marco couldn't imagine what would happen if the corrupt Captain got a Zodiac assassin on his side. The thing that happened with the Hollow Skull Pirates would be nothing compared to what could happen.

Marco frowned, getting up. He chugged the rest of his sake down and left the cup on the kitchen counter. He then walked to the deck, his mind still spinning. A tango with the Tenryuubito sounded great right now. If the Zodiacs were buying those slaves… He couldn't imagine in what state those people were right now. Zodiacs needed someone to practice their 'art' on after all. A snowball hit the phoenix straight in the face.

"Got you!" Ace yelled, running away. Marco smirked, and bent down to gather snow. He would think of something later. Pops had told him to sit and wait, after all. Now, he needed to pound some snow into that hothead's face.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran got ready in record time. Her whole form was trembling as she stuffed her possessions into a bag. She had to be insane. Why was she doing this? For a favor to an old man that she had met a few years back. She was going to risk her life for that man, who would probably forget her if she failed and died. The young pilot paused to brush her, now dry, hair back and tie it into a proper, tight bun. She didn't have her pilot gear. She hadn't done a test flight. She hadn't said goodbye. She was just going to fly away, even if it meant flying into her death?

Yes.

Her mind had been made up long before Elder Pinjao had called. She had known, deep down, that she was going to fly away soon enough. True, she was planning to get some kind of protective gear and at least one short test flight, but to hell with it. Something like that couldn't keep her down. She had made a promise to herself a long time ago. No cage would hold her. If death was destined to break her wings forever, then so be it.

"Will this do?" Shrimp entered her room, giving her two bags. She quickly opened them both and inspected the contents. One held a white suit and the other books and scrolls. Ignoring Shrimp, Ran shed her work clothing, the cargo pants and the loose shirt, and slipped into the white suit. It was skin tight. She frowned at Shrimp. He gave her a sheepish look. "I bet your man Ace will like that."

"Ass." She paused, her frown slowly morphing into a smile. "Thanks." The girl walked forward and pulled her much taller cousin into a hug. He tucked her into his arms and squeezed gently. His little cousin was going away again.

"I packed some books for you. About AGT, sky combat, and even some that I saved that are about core connecting and golems. I think that they will be useful." Shrimp added, giving her a pair of ordinary gloves. She frowned but accepted them. It was a shame that her piloting ones were confiscated. Ran pulled on her vintage boots, her mother hadn't taken those away, and put on the borrowed gloves.

"Let's go." Ran said, looking Shrimp right in the eyes, and the man shivered. His little cousin was terrifying sometimes. She was ready to die for what she believed in. She didn't believe in material things, and was ready to leave them behind. She was Ranmao, his little cousin, the Migratory Bird. And there was no way that he could ever stop her from doing what she lived for.

**All for now, folks!**

**Reviews:**

**Savage Kill: I suppose you could call it living, I was an exchange student in the US for 10 months and it was epic! I also picked up the whole American accent and slang thing, it's ridiculous xD**

**Hope you enjoyed :D**

**anniewanny2: I adore you! Thank you so much :) I've worked really hard on Ran. She is quite an interesting character, a challenge to write, but I am very comfortable with writing her. I'm glad that she comes off as real, I was trying hard to make her both realistic, yet an anime character. I hope it's working xD **

**I'm kind of nervous about my writing style. I keep doing little page breaks and going from one place to another, and some people find that annoying. Also, I don't re-write. At least not in this story. Open Seas is all about the first thing that comes to my mind, not about a well thought through fanficion, like Sand Castles, for example. I mean, I do have a plot, but I don't have all the details ready yet :P**

**Romance…. Aaaah romance… Damn…. Well, I gotta say it's Ace's fault. Seriously, I can't see him being overly romantic or anything. I think he's quite oblivious, because, despite everything, ace does doubt himself a lot, his own existence, in fact. And then we have Ran, who is a decision kind of girl. At least she has come to terms with the fact that she is attracted to him, thank you Shrimp!, so I'm hoping to get some more AcexRan in there soon. Wow, long reply! I was so excited xD **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**ZabuzasGirl: I'm not sure how fast I'm going to be able to update from now on, I'm busy with exams. But, soon! **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**

** Wren: *bows* *stares* *bows again* I am speechless! Or typeless… whatever, you get it! Thank you so much! I've climbed from the very bottom in my writing, as in horrible Mary Sues and all, so reading this makes my day!**

**I am glad that you are enjoying the story so far, I hope that it's flowing, as I don't often re-read and go back to correct stuff. I am also beta-less, so I expect a lot of small mistakes in grammar, I just don't notice them xD **

**I'm glad that you enjoy the POV switch. I know it is a very rookie-like thing to do and that it annoys some people, but I find it interesting. I like writing Ace, even though it's my version of him, so probably a bit OOC, and Ran has been so amusing to write! I enjoy writing the rest of the characters, too, I have loads of OCs, so I hope that I am keeping them as individual as possible. I can't help it, Oda leaves so much to the imagination :3 **

**I'm glad that someone listens to the music stuff :D I just didn't want my chapters to be named by numbers, so I decided to do this :) I loved your suggestions, Into the night is sweet :D I'm not that into the Far East Movement, I'm more of a rock gal, but hey, the song is fiiiiine :) **

**Ran was inspired by many different things, Ghibli among them, Kiki and Nausicaa. I tend to ramble about that in the bold stuff above and below the chapters :P**

**Hope to hear from you again :D**

**P.S..: For some reason, silly fanfiction won't let me type you username, I gave you a nickname :3**


	14. Spectrum

**Morning, ya'll and welcome, ladies and gents! **

**I hope that you are enjoying the story so far :D This chapter was a real blast to write! I have taken XxFire-PhoenixxX's suggestion and included Chameleone in the story. He is not a part of my bigger plot, he is just there to help Ace develop his character. **

**I updated his fast because of the amazing reviews that I got! Thank you so much Savage Kill, ZabuzasGirl, XxFire-PhoenixxX and Wren :D**

**I would also like to thank Wicken25 for the alert and fav :) **

**Now, I present to you:**

**Chapter 14: Spectrum – Florence + The Machine (I am in LOVE with her voice)**

Ran opened the door to the old garage, ignoring the clang of metal against metal as she let it fly open. Shrimp was close behind her, cringing at the sound. They were each carrying a few bags of Arcadian goods, along with some of Ran's in progress projects. The pilot went to her glider and pulled off the protective black cover. She frowned at the machine.

"Your doing, I suppose?" She asked Shrimp, glaring. Her cousin smiled sheepishly.

"You are planning to go undetected, aren't you?" Ran shook her head, smiling and opened the storage. The Sparrow was white. It had a cover of white powder-like substance. However, when she touched it, it stayed on the metal, not rubbing off onto her skin. She could fly undetected in the clouds this way. Ran smiled tossing her belongings into the storage. She noticed something on the bottom and rummaged for it. Her pouches and keys! Ran grinned and attached them to her waist. This was great! She still had her keys, Eternal Poses and various gadgets that she stored there. In joy, Ran rubbed her cheek against the pouch holding her precious chopsticks. Shrimp laughed in the background.

"You still need a helmet, cuz." He pointed out. Ran nodded, putting the rest of her things into the storage. She slammed it shut and looked to the metal stairs. There lay a connecting helmet, seemingly completely innocent.

"I've got one right here, love." Ran laughed at Shrimp's shocked face. That's right, her cousin was still oblivious to her core connecting experiments. Still smiling, the pilot picked up the helmet and flipped it around in her hands. She had done some modifications on the thing, removing the outdated cord system and replacing it with a wireless. She looked for the can of white powder that Shrimp had used on the Sparrow and quickly rubbed some on the helmet. Ran turned, only to see her cousin pulling the glider onto a pair of spare wheels. They left the garage in silence, the only sound the creaking of the wheels against the clouds and rocks. Once they got to the edge of the Fifth Level, and the island itself, Ran looked into the abyss. She could only see clouds, but she knew, 10000 meters was no joke. She smiled to herself and rubbed her arms, the new suit strangely snug on her body. Her heart was already beating like an insane drum.

Shrimp hugged her tightly, and Ran was afraid that he would start crying. The pilot hugged him back and then pushed him away.

"I'll be back soon. I promise." She caressed his cheek gently.

"Not soon enough, cuz." He hugged her once again. "Maybe next time, we'll meet on the Blue Sea?" He smirked cockily and let the girl go. She laughed at his implication and shook her head.

"As long as they don't find out that you are researching golems, they won't send you away, idiot." She pulled the Sparrow to the edge. "Be careful, Jinhai." Ran was trembling by now, scared out of her mind. The pilot secured her makeshift helmet onto her head and checked her pouches. Next, Ran pushed the Sparrow off the cliff and jumped after it, like she had done many times. She grabbed the bars easily and let her mind focus on the distant sound of the chirping bird. She heard Shrimp yelling somewhere in the background, but the screams vanished from her ears.

Ran was freefalling, and it felt so good. She was weightless, her legs on the glider trembling with fear. Yet, there was a grin on her face. She was horribly terrified, but she was elated, too. She was finally flying. She was finally free of the ground, and able to embrace the skies.

With a whoop of joy, Ran raised her hands in the air, holding onto the glider with only her legs. Suddenly, the wings that had been tucked in spread to their magnificent length, showing the beautiful mechanisms inside. Ran landed in a crouch on the metal back of the Sparrow and leaned, hands still in the air, making the glider go back upwards. She saw Shrimp doing a happy dance, which looked ridiculous, as he was huge, and she waved at him. The wind was loud in her ears along with a distant song of the Sparrow and she angled the glider away from Arcadia, not turning to look back at her home island.

~~~~pb~~~~

They docked at the Winter Island called Coria without many problems. Thatch and Ace had spent quite a bit of their time convincing Marco to allow them to sell the stuff from the lowest level. In the end, the phoenix had caved and told them that if the stuff wasn't needed, they could sell it. This caused the prank war between the two to stop for a while, in order to get the things from the Ninth Circle ready for trade. That allowed the crew to take a breather, as the two were busy with something else besides tormenting Marco or each other.

Seriously, making pineapple jokes and pranks was already old. However, Thatch and Ace considered it a classic and the first mate considered it the eighth sin. Then again, seeing Ace or Thatch fly overboard was very amusing. The raven was willing to bet that there was at least one active pool on the number of dips that he would daily take. He wasn't against it, he just wanted a percentage in it. He didn't enjoy the feeling of being a hammer in the sea.

"We could've gotten more for that lamp." Thatch complained as he and Ace walked, slipping slightly on the snow. Their pockets were clanking happily with money. They had sold quite a bit of their 'treasure' by now. The antique lamp was the last piece that they had taken with them to trade today. Now, without any more furniture, and with pockets full of money, the two were headed somewhere for a drink. Or ten. Ace was looking forward to the food, too.

"I don't think that that guy is insane enough to rip off a Whitebeard pirate." Ace grinned, pointing at his back. Even though it was freezing outside, the Logia was going shirtless, showing his Pops' mark proudly. Thatch, on the other hand, was wearing layers of clothing, attempting to keep warm. Needless to say, the two attracted a lot of attention.

"True. Then again, there are some really stupid people in this world." Thatch mused, slipping once more. "There was this guy, once, who tried to kill Pops, you know. Many times." Ace laughed and chucked some snow at the Commander. Thatch evaded quickly, which caused him to lose his footing and land on his ass.

"Ouch." The pompadour complained. "Help me up." Thatch struggled in his many layers to get up. Ace laughed but lent him a hand, only to get pulled to the ground himself. They ended up wrestling in the middle of the street in the snow pile.

"Gijigijigiji~" A distinct laughter sounded near them. The two looked up, only to see their crewmate, Chameleone. Thatch frowned and struggled to get up, accepting Ace's help this time. "You look like you're having fun." The flamboyant man stated. Thatch gave him a grin.

"We were just heading for drinks. Want to come with?" The pompadour asked, pointing at the nearby inn. Chameleone nodded and the pirates walked together. Ace stayed silent while the other two chatted about recent bounty raises. He wasn't sure what to think about their crewmate. He didn't really interact with Chameleone a lot. Sure, it was hard not to notice the flamboyant man, but that didn't mean that they talked. The usual 'good morning' and 'good evening' was a given, but not a lot besides that. Truth be told, Ace was a bit uncomfortable around Chameleone, which was a rare feeling to get among the Whitebeard Pirates. He brushed it off though, hoping that he was just being paranoid.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran flew through the clouds, watching the dust paint slowly fade with the wet air. She was aware of the constant singing of the Sparrow. The bird was enjoying their flight. Ran adjusted her position and took out her Eternal Pose for Septimo. She put it on the tip of her glider and then changed her course slightly.

She had been flying for a while. She knew that she had some food and water, but she was considering landing at least once before Septimo. The new design for the Sparrow made the bird even faster. She had been surprised at how easily she did turns and twists, and how fast she gained speed while simply gliding on a current. It was beautiful. A trip that would've taken her two or three days, was now possible in a little over one.

Ran moved once again, and the vessel left the clouds. She saw the blue expanse below and she felt a pang of nostalgia in her stomach. Suddenly, she was racing towards the water, head first. Her heart drummed heavily as the glider leveled out at the last possible moment, and did a couple of turns leaving one wing in the water and her almost laying on the holding bar. She giggled and dipped one gloved hand into the warm, salty water. The scent of the sea was comforting. The song of the Sparrow was getting louder and louder in her head. She hadn't even adjusted her position for that trick. The bird had read her mind.

Ran moved and made her glider fly normally once again. She looked at the Eternal Pose and adjusted the course once more. Then, the young pilot caught a current upwards and shot away from the waves and into the skies.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace wasn't sure how he ended up in this position. On his ass, in the middle of the street, not being able to muster any strength to get up. He could hear his brothers placing bets around him. He raised his head a bit, only to see a smirking Marco.

"Get up, yoi." The Commander ordered. It wasn't supposed to go like this. He had been training Haki with Leo. He was supposed to be able to use it properly now. Apparently not. Sure, when calm on deck, with only his blonde friend present, who was like a distress blanket, let's be honest, Leo never got mad, Ace could use both types of Haki. However, when in the middle of the fight, he lacked the concentration to switch between the two, or to even focus on one. He frowned and relaxed, giving up on his current fight. He had learned his lesson this time. Do not show a pineapple with a drawn on face to Marco and say 'yoi'. Especially not if you are planning to challenge him to a fight later. Not like he won't repeat his mistake. Ace was one of those people that had to do something ten to twelve times for it to sink in. At least these kind of things anyways.

"Here." Marco's hand appeared in front of him and the first mate pulled him up. Ace swayed slightly and the Commander threw one of the raven's arms around his own shoulders, supporting his weight. "Let's get you back to the ship. You should sleep it off, yoi." The first mate walked, almost dragging the raven with him, as the crowd in the street dispersed, exchanging money and re-entering the inn.

The walk was short, and the Commander was surprisingly steady on his feet in the snow. However, Ace wasn't really noticing any of that. He was trapped in his own mind, beating himself up.

"Don't cry, yoi." He hadn't realized that he had been crying until Marco pointed it out. "You'll get better at it, yoi. I sucked in the beginning, too." Ace didn't respond. He had learned that most of the stronger pirates of the crew could use Haki. Naturally, every Commander used it, too. Heck, doc used Haki. And he, a notorious pirate, couldn't. He used to be a famous rookie, a great Captain, and now he was one of the weaker members of the crew. If it came down to it, he would be the one being protected, and not the one doing the protecting. He couldn't bear the thought of being unable to protect those important to him. And the Whitebeard Pirates were important to him.

"Don't focus so much on it, yoi." Ace raised his head slightly, listening to Marco's advice. "I think that you are forcing it. Just let it come naturally, yoi. Let it become like breathing or eating to you." The raven snorted and the first mate poked his ribs in retaliation. "You are too impatient. It's like learning how to use a Devil Fruit. It takes time, yoi."

"How long did it take you?" Ace retaliated. They were on the deck now, and the raven pulled away from Marco slightly, walking on his own. The first mate didn't leave him, though. They went below deck and towards the crew's sleeping quarters.

"A couple of years to fully master it, yoi." The Commander answered. Ace looked at him in shock. He had expected to hear that Marco had learned Haki in a matter of months, considering how hard the phoenix had been pushing him. "I could use it in daily activities by the end of the first couple of weeks of learning it, though. You have potential, Ace. Trust me, yoi." With those words, the Commander stayed at the entrance of the sleeping quarters and watched the raven settle into his hammock. The young pirate was out like a light and Marco left, smiling to himself. They did well with recruiting Ace.

"Gijigijigiji~" The first mate turned to find Chameleone following him. The flamboyant man was smiling at Marco. "Interesting kid, isn't he?" The Commander nodded, heading back towards the deck. Chameleone followed. "If he trains, he could even become a Commander, don't you think?"

"He certainly has the potential, yoi." Marco confirmed. The two walked back towards the deck together in silence. Marco noticed the looks that Chameleone chanced at him, but he ignored them. He was waiting for the man to speak. Chameleone was a fairly new member of the crew. Not as new as Ace, but still new. The phoenix was a cautious man, no matter how much he trusted his Captain's instincts.

"How interesting." Chameleone remarked as they exited onto the deck. "Have a good day." With that he left the phoenix alone on the deck. Marco stood there for a second, going over their conversation in his head. It left a bad taste in his mouth. There was one thing about Marco, he always trusted his instincts.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran flew throughout the night, making only a couple of stops. It started raining heavily. The Sparrow was safe, though, with a couple of protective layers against the rust. Her new suit, even though it was tight and snug, was warm. It had an inner heat regulating system, allowing her to stay warm in the cold rain. The weather was fit for a funeral. Everything was gray and sad somehow. Ran wiped the drops from her face once again, wishing that her mother hadn't taken her goggles away. Her skin was prickling in the cold. She could barely feel her cheeks. Ran squinted in the heavy downpour, finally spotting the island in the distance.

She changed her position and flew down. She could see the small yellow lights now. Landing in this weather was going to be a pain. The pilot flipped over, to the bottom of the glider, using the bars to secure her path. She let her feet dangle freely, holding herself in the air only by her arms. This way she had less control over the glider, but more over the landing. Ran swayed, adjusting the direction of the glider a bit more. She was comforted by the warm song of the Sparrow in her head. It was like a light in the gray rain, warming her up from the inside.

"Slow down for me, would you?" She cooed to the Sparrow, her voice getting lost in the pouring rain. The reaction of her bird was instantaneous. The wings moved, the gears spinning, letting off steam as they positioned themselves against the wind. The body of the Sparrow rose, nose up, slowing down. Ran closed one eye, the other squinting and she felt her feet hit the mud. The pilot ran forward, trying to stop. The weight of the glider on her back was comforting, but heavy. She wriggled out from under the machine and took off her helmet. The absence of the song in her head was strange, but she opened the storage and placed the helmet in there. Ran took the key gear out of the Sparrow and left for the town. She needed an Eternal Pose and some food. She was even considering getting a room for the night.

~~~~pb~~~~

Kacha!

"This is the Sparrow, checking in. I have safely landed on Septimo." Ran said into the Den Den Mushi, a small smile on her face. She had just showered with warm water and settled into the hotel room. She felt much better. The Sparrow was safely stored away, a waterproof cover secured over it. Regardless of the crappy weather, Ran had had a good day.

"Ranmao! Thank the Gods!" Elder Pinjao spoke from the other side of the line. "I was worried, lassie."

"I'm alright. The Sparrow is in top condition as far as I can tell, too. Have you heard anything from your acquaintance?" The pilot pushed her long hair out of her face, annoyed at the length. The strands were getting bothersome. She considered cutting it.

"Not directly, but I did talk to her companions. I'm afraid that she isn't well, Ranmao." The Elder sighed. "She's hurt. Their pursuers have caught up to them." Ran frowned at the calm in his voice.

"I'll leave right away." She stood, preparing to get dressed. The pilot rubbed sleep from her eyes. It would have to wait. A life was at stake.

"No, no, it's alright. Get some shuteye, lassie. They have managed to get out of Varosh and are now partially safe. A few hours won't make a difference, and you sound like you need them." The elder reassured her. Ran sat back down, relaxing.

"Do you know their exact location? And could you give me their names?" The pilot enquired. She wasn't accustomed to transporting people. Elder Pinjao had never asked her to do a job so strange and secretive. However, he was a longtime customer. She trusted the man. However, the whole 'no names' thing was starting to irritate her.

"They are in the old lighthouse, on the north side of the island. As for names…" The Elder gave a sigh. "I'm not entirely sure what she calls herself these days. I suppose that she will answer to Sita." He cleared his throat. "Just state your name and that I sent you and you should be fine, lassie." He finished. The pilot nodded to herself, making a mental note.

"I understand." Ran said. "I will get some rest now. The next time I contact you will be after I extract your acquaintance from Octavo."

"Take care." The Elder greeted and the line went silent.

Kacha!

Ran put her Den Den Mushi back into her pouch and got up. She didn't have any clothes here, so she picked up a hotel bathrobe. Nothing she could do about it. It would be alright for one night sleepwear. And in the matter of minutes, the pilot was out like a light.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace woke up when he hit the floor. Hard. He sat up and shook his head, trying to figure out what was going on. His hammock swayed innocently above him. He had been out for a while. Maybe Haki exhaustion would cure his narcolepsy? The raven was about to stand up when the Moby Dick shook again. Ace flew up and towards the small, round window. He peered outside, only to see a ship docking onto the Moby Dick from the sea. Small, dark figures were tossing ladders and climbing onto the whale's deck. Ace frowned and ran towards the door.

He hadn't heard anything about a docking. Rakuyo couldn't be back yet. Besides, they didn't own a boat that looked like that. He didn't light any lanterns in the hallway, he merely followed the walls. By now, he knew the ship well enough to find his way around in the dark.

If this was an attack, why hadn't the look-out called for help? Seriously, you don't just ignore a fricking galleon, no matter who you are. This train of thought led Ace to believe that the guard was either drunk or hurt. Not liking the latter, he sped up, careful to be as quiet as possible.

The door to the deck creaked as Ace pushed it open and the raven cringed. He crouched down, listening to the quickly multiplying, hushed voices.

"Hurry up!"

"Quickly! While they aren't on board!"

"Capture anyone you can! They are all worth millions!"

Ace's frown deepened. He crept forward in the crouching position, trying to get a better look at the flag and identify the crew. He surveyed the red galloping skeleton horse, but it didn't ring a bell. The young pirate hid behind some crates, thanking Thatch for his absolute lack of organization. The Commander was absolutely horrible at putting things in their proper places. So, whenever his division was in charge of the supplies, there were barrels and crates on the deck, unsorted.

Ace next heard clanking from the front of the ship. He would recognize that sound anywhere. Those idiotic pirates were taking their gold! That is the point when Ace snapped. He wasn't going to just sit by and let this happen. He was going to stop them. That gold wasn't just for their adventures, it was also to support all of the Whitebeard territories. So, Ace being Ace, jumped out of his hiding place with a war cry.

"It's Fire Fist!"

"He's alone!"

"Get him!"

That was one thing that he didn't expect. The crowd of pirates dropped the treasure and ran towards him, some of them bare-handed. Ace ducked the first couple of attacks, and evaded another couple. He got shot, not like it did anything, and smirked at their shocked faces. Obviously, they didn't know why he was nicknamed Fire Fist.

"Higan!" He gave the pirates fire bullets, in response to their lead ones. They scattered around, trying to avoid the fire and rolling around the deck to put it out. Ace grinned and stepped forward. This would be a perfect time to practice his Haki. The raven focused on his arm, keeping his cool. He watched the familiar blackness spread across it, enveloping the whole fist in the end. He flexed his hand, satisfied. Ace turned to the pirates and allowed the smirk on his face to widen. Most of the crew took a couple of steps back.

"Let's party."

~~~~pb~~~~

Apparently, Ace had been a bit too arrogant, as usual. His control of Haki wasn't as good as he had assumed. He blamed it on the ridiculous amount of pirates who were trying to grab him alive. It was a right pain in the butt. Someone swung at him with a war cry. The sword came towards him quickly. Ace didn't perceive it as a threat until he saw the blade glint in a blue light and evaded it closely.

"Good call, Fire Fist!" The pirate swung at him again, the slashes getting faster and more precise. Another pirate shot at him from the side. Ace ducked, just in case that they were laced with kairoseki. He hated the person who found a way to lace things with kairoseki so much right now. Girlish screams came from below deck and one of the pirates came out dragging Penny with him.

"Look what I found, Captain." He addressed the one fighting Ace. "Sweet, right?" The raven didn't listen to the Captain's answer, he evaded the distracted man's sword and ran towards the still screaming girl and her captor. He would be damned before he would let anyone harm Penny right in front of him. The pirate raised his knife to the girl's neck and she stilled, her eyes going dead.

"Stay right there, Fire Fist." The captor yelled. "Or she dies." Ace froze, his eyes darting from one enemy pirate to another. He could take them. No problem. If only Penny wasn't a hostage. Where the heck were Marco and Thatch when you needed them? He would be delighted for Leo to just pop up, like he usually does, right about now.

"Load the cargo." The man with the kairoseki sword ordered and everyone except Ace, the Captain and Penny and her captor moved. Ace tried to calm down, taking deep breaths. Haki. Focus on Haki. He knew this ship by heart. He could visualize it easily. Now, all he needed to do was use his Haki to pinpoint locations.

Suddenly, everything around him went gray. Everyone was moving slowly. Maybe he was moving insanely fast. He could hear his own heart beating wildly in his chest. And then it was like small bubbles of paint exploded in the gray. A soft yellow. Penny. Each member of the enemy crew. Someone in the crow's nest. It was a strange, swirly color that he couldn't identify. A brilliant jade in the medical wing. Doc. Ace took a deep breath, his heart slowing back down to normal. He opened his eyes, full of determination.

"Stop!" He yelled out, not moving a muscle. A wave built up from inside of him, washing over the deck, taking the gray and the different colors with it. Everything was back to normal. Everyone was moving fast again. The enemy pirates were falling to the ground, unconscious. Penny slid to the ground, laying still on the deck planks, eyes open and empty. Ace stood, like stone, for a second and then ran to the small cook.

"Penny. Penny!" Ace yelled, picking her up gently. "Talk to me, Penelope!" He brushed her strawberry blonde hair back with affection, his hand shaking. "Penelope! I need some help over here!" He yelled out, hoping that someone, anyone, would hear him. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't equipped to deal with this. He didn't know what was wrong with her.

~~~~pb~~~~

Jade was working in her office late. Thatch had come to ask her to join them at the inn, but she had declined. She needed to catch up on her work. All the plants that she had gathered were sorted. She made at least fifty little bundles and hung them up to dry.

Doc went over her books, looking for different ways to use the raw ingredients that she already had. Nodding to herself she ground some of the raw plants to make goo. It was great for wounds and cuts this way. Doc added some water and honey, making it a thick paste. It would sting, but it would be effective.

She sat down, mixing the paste in the bowl. Jade sighed, relaxing in her chair. She wanted a smoke. Maybe a drink, too. Then again, a game of poker would do, also. She stood up. After she finished, she would go and join the rest of the crew, doc promised herself. The Moby Dick shook. She grabbed the counter to steady herself and frowned. What the hell were they doing up there? The ship shook once more. Jade shook her head. Destructive idiots. She was glad that she had a fixed position. She didn't like hammering planks.

Doc transferred the paste from the bowl into a small jar. She secured a lid on top and labeled it. Next, she put it away in the cupboard. She smiled at her collection of medicine jars. It was perfectly organized and beautiful. She remembered when Thatch used to come down to the medical wing and mess up the order of the jars. He quickly learned that he shouldn't do that. Quickly and painfully.

Suddenly, a wave washed over her. Doc gasped and slammed the cupboard closed. Haoshoku Haki. And not one that she was familiar with. Jade dropped everything and ran out of her office. She couldn't remember the last time that she had gone to the deck so fast. Doc slammed the cracked door open, ignoring the creak that sounded through the cold night air.

"Penelope! I need some help over here!" Jade heard Ace yelling from the front of the ship. She ran once more, the heels of her boots clacking on the planks. She surveyed the situation on deck, putting the pieces together as she went. The cowboy did well. She deemed, focusing on the collapsed girl. She kneeled next to the two, trying to inspect the cook for wounds. Ace was holding her too close. He seemed terrified.

"Cowboy, let me take a look at her. I can help." He wasn't responding to her gentle tone. She shivered in the icy air. Doc placed a tentative hand on the Logia's shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

"Doc?" Ace asked, as if seeing her for the first time. His eyes cleared quickly. "Can you help her?" He asked, voice quiet. He sounded so small. So vulnerable.

"Let's get her into the medical wing." Ace nodded and picked up the small girl. Doc led him towards her office, ignoring the knocked out pirates on deck. That Haki wave had been powerful. Marco had definitely felt that. Doc didn't doubt that he would be back on the Moby Dick soon. Now, she needed to help this small girl.

~~~~pb~~~~

A flamboyant figure sat in the crow's nest, watching the whole scene on the deck. He smirked, licking his lips.

"Potential, eh?" He leaned back more comfortably in his seat. "Delicious." Chameleone smirked.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran squinted through the rain. She flew above the lighthouse on the northern side of Octavo. The rain was still horribly pouring, and Ran wasn't looking forward to another landing in the mud. She dipped one wing on the inside of the circle and gradually slowed down. She flipped over the Sparrow's head and caught the bottom bars. From there, she maneuvered the glider with a gentle command.

"Slow down for me, Sparrow." Ran murmured. "Let's land, love." With those words, Ran waited for the wings to adjust their position before her feet finally touched the muddy ground. Ran flinched at the nasty feeling of the mud in her boots. She wasn't a girly girl. She didn't value her boots as something very important. But, damn, the feeling of mud and water in her footwear was bloody nasty. The full weight of the glider landed on her back as they came to a stop. She slid from under the Sparrow and left in in the rain, walking across the small expanse towards the lighthouse.

Ran looked through the rain at the old building. It seemed ready to fall apart. She took off her helmet and walked further towards the rotting door. The comforting song in her head vanished along with the warmth that it brought. She felt alone, in the pouring rain, the only sound the crashing drops. Loneliness was a part of her life, though. She could handle it.

Ran pushed the old door open, the downpour drowning out the sound of the old mechanism creaking. The inside was dusty, full of cobwebs, but dry. Ran shook out her hair and re-adjusted it into a bun. She coughed slightly at the stale air. The young pilot stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. She adjusted the helmet on her hip. The sound of rain got muffled by the old walls of the lighthouse. The drops that fell from her person were as loud as ceremonial drums. Something cold pressed against Ran's neck.

"Who the hell are you?"

**That's all folks!**

**Sita is the name of Rama's wife in the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is also the Avatar of Lakshmi. **

**Onto the reviews:**

**ZabuzasGirl: You read insanely fast! Hope you enjoyed :D**

**Savage Kill: Yep. Zodiacs all around :D You must wait and see, my friend. Soon, insanity and mess is about to ensue! I will be eviiiiil~**

**Hope you liked the chapter :3**

**XxFire-PhoenixxX: I haven't seen the Premier Show, which is horrible, thus I am winging it with his character. I was in a bit of a dilemma, cause I needed someone to help Ace develop further, but didn't want to add unnecessary OCs. Chameleone fits perfectly :)**

**I hope you enjoyed :3**

**Wren: Thanks! I have actually never worked with a beta. I had a friend do my spellcheck for a couple of things, but she is too busy to help me out all the time :( **

**I'm a bit of an OC maniac though… Some people are very much against OCs, and in the case of One Piece, the current timeline, I am against many OCs. Seriously, Oda has a ton of characters! However, I chose to write about Ace's timeline first, especially because there aren't a lot of known characters. And even those that are known, well, they don't appear much, so I can't go too OOC.**

**I'm trying to develop both Ace and Ran, side by side. I thought a lot about that thing you said last time. How Ace and Ran go through similar things, but while apart? I figured that at some point, they would both have to learn about Haki. I mean, they are both sailing the New World, right? Ace and Ran are actually not overly compatible. She wasn't 'made' for him, like many of the OCs. I figured that some experiences, like that for example, would help them bond.**

**I completely understand the 'skip the bold' thing, shhhhh I do it too xD But, I am soooo happy that my story is one of those 'skip the bold' and 'read until dawn' stories! Thank you so much!**


	15. Johnny

**Welcome, ladies and gents!**

**This is an update, very fast might I add, for my new buddy Wren! This chapter is so you don't fall from your seat, love :D**

**Thank you Danielle Chocolatt, on the follow :) Welcome to the family!**

**In this chapter we finally get our dear, but oblivious, Ace, to do something! Stupid, but something :)**

**I don't know when, but I threw in some Marco loving… It just… developed… Fraaaaack xD**

**Chapter 15: Johnny – Vaya con Dios (Old, but amazing band!)**

Ace wasn't sure how long he loitered around the medical wing. Doc worked on Penny while he paced, walked about and bit his short nails. He could see the muscle on Jade's neck pulse in anger, but he couldn't make himself stop. She didn't explode though. She just kept working in silence.

"Are you done? Is she better? When is she going to wake up?" Ace finally gave in, and started asking questions. He wasn't used to being this worried. He wasn't used to feeling all of these emotions at once. His hand went through his hair automatically and he tugged on it lightly.

"Not yet. Why don't you sit?" Doc's voice was steady, calm. She was talking to him almost like he was the one hurt by the intruders. Was he? Ace nodded and settled into doc's cushioned chair shakily. She didn't look at him and kept inspecting the girl.

The door opened and Marco's head popped in. He looked bored, as usual, but Ace could feel a certain energy wash over them when the first mate entered. The First Commander was serious.

"Everyone alright, yoi?" Marco asked. Doc gave him an exasperated look, but didn't answer. Ace stared at him, and frankly, the phoenix thought that he looked like a kicked puppy. Marco nodded to the two and left, the door slamming in his wake. Ace cringed at the sound.

"Cowboy, come here. Pull up that chair, too." Ace stood, now fully aware of his shaking legs. The adrenaline was slowly leaving his system. Doc caught the back of the chair and pulled it near the bed. She placed a comforting hand on Ace's shoulder and gently pushed him down. Doc wasn't sure who was in worse condition, the raven or the tiny girl on her bed. She frowned slightly.

"How is she, doc?" Ace asked quietly. She squeezed his shoulder for reassurance and then let go. She walked to her lab section of the office and turned on the burner. She filled a pot with water and heated it up. It was faster on the burner. Doc made ashwaganda tea and added honey. She poured it into three cups and served it to Ace. The raven accepted the hot drink in a zombie-like state. She took one for herself and left the last one on Penny's nightstand. Jade settled herself on the edge of the hospital bed.

"She is going to be fine." Doc began. Ace released a breath that he hadn't been aware of holding. "Drink." Doc told him gently. He did. The warm tea seeped into his system and he could feel himself calming down slowly. He took another deep breath and released it. Ace looked to doc, only to see a small smile on her face. "That's better." It was then when Ace noticed just how deep doc's voice was. Deep and comforting. She was more worried about him than about Penny. Did he seem that bad?

"Thank you." Ace murmured. Doc gave him a knowing smile.

"It's alright, cowboy. We've all been there." Doc spoke. "She will be fine. She is in shock. Right now, she is just sleeping. I've checked her with Haki. Now, all we need to do is wait." Ace nodded. Doc drank some tea and the raven copied her movements. He welcomed the warm drink. It was comforting, so different form the alcohol that he usually drank these days. He could see why Leo came to doc for his tea every morning.

"Is there anything I can do?" Ace asked. His voice had finally stopped shaking.

"Stay with her. Talk to her." Doc stood and walked out of the room. She sighed and sipped some more of the tea. Doc walked to the deck slowly. The pirates and the enemy ship were gone. The only evidence of the fight were the charred parts of the planks. The rising sun appeared on the horizon and the morning rays hit her face, warming her body. The air from her nose and mouth was fogging up in the icy atmosphere. Her tea was steaming. Another sleepless night. Jade let out another sigh.

"Are they alright?" Doc turned to the first mate. She nodded. He seemed just as tired as she felt. Doc walked over to him and hoisted herself up on the railing beside him.

"She is in shock. She fell asleep half way through my examination. He got quite shaken up, but I think that he'll be fine. More determined, but fine." Marco's face lost the frown that had been present. He allowed doc to lean against him and lay her head on his shoulder. Penny and Ace weren't the only shaken up ones. The first mate hugged the ship's doctor gently, pulling her closer to his warm body. He loved his Devil Fruit sometimes.

"Character building, eh?" Marco joked. Jade didn't answer. She wasn't in the mood for his lame jokes. "What I want to know, yoi, is who the hell was on watch." His voice lowered considerably. Doc raised her head a bit to look at him.

"A spy?" The dark woman whispered back. The phoenix shrugged. "Who's up there now?" The doc questioned, her eyes immediately glued to the crow's nest.

"Leo, yoi." Doc relaxed back onto his shoulder. She would vouch with her life that Leo wasn't a spy. "Izo volunteered to take the next watch." Jade sighed.

"I hate this distrust in the air." Her exotic face had a frown fixed on it. "Do you remember when we were still a small crew? Everyone knew everyone's business." She smiled, remembering.

"I remember you screaming from the bathroom, yoi." He chuckled and she felt it rumble through his body. Jade let out a very unladylike snort.

"There was only one bathroom and I was the only woman." She argued. "Besides, who enters without knocking?"

"Pirates, yoi." She giggled. A sound that was a privilege to hear.

"Pirates." Doc agreed.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran stood still for what seemed like hours. The blade was icy against her neck. The drumming of her hart was like shouts in her head, almost drowning out the muffled sound of the rain.

"Answer me, you asshole!" The voice behind her addressed her again. She could tell that it was a young child that had spoken. Probably male, too. He was barely reaching her neck. However, his voice didn't sound scared or anxious. It was cold and dangerous, full of malice. Ran didn't dare move. This kid would kill her if she did.

"R-Ranmao. Sparrow delivery service." She spoke shakily. She could feel the blade moving against her throat as she spoke. However, it didn't bite into her skin. This kid was skillful. "Elder Pinjao sent me to this location."

"Truth?" The voice behind her spoke again. She frowned. Of course she was telling the truth. Why don't you try lying with a knife to your throat?

"No idea." An identical voice spoke from in front of her. She tried to find the speaker in the shadows, but she couldn't. Ran caught slight movement in the dark, but she couldn't make out the figure.

"Let's kill the bastard." The voice behind her spoke again. Ran felt blood freeze in her veins.

"Let's." The person from the front agreed. "Try that new technique." The pilot started panicking. She could feel her head swimming. White spots appeared in her vision.

"Wait! Wait, please! I'm looking for someone named Sita!" Ran attempted to defuse the situation. She was regretting taking this thrice damned job by now. She would take flying in a lightning storm over this any day.

The two voices didn't speak for a while. Then the blade on her neck loosened, but didn't leave its position. "Walk." The voice behind her spoke and a small hand pushed her forward. Ran obeyed. She headed forward and up the stairs, almost chucking when the blade vanished from her neck and pressed into her back. The kid was too short to hold her neck when she was on the higher step.

She heard two pairs of footsteps following her. They went all the way up the lighthouse. The stairs were old and dusty. They were made of stone, but more than one was cracked and parts were even missing. Ran struggled to find her footing as she climbed the stairs as slowly as possible, while not raising any suspicion. She needed time to think. She wasn't ready to die. At least not on the ground. If she were to die, she would die while flying.

Her heart slowed down gradually. She was still terrified, but less than in the beginning. She was calming down. Getting scared wouldn't help her. She needed to think rationally. These were probably the companions of this Sita person that Pinjao had sent her to extract. Fuck extracting. She would never, ever, agree to something like this again. These were supposed to be her allies, not the people trying to kill her. She had been too naïve. Too trusting. Ran wanted to break down and cry.

"Mistress? Are you awake?" One of the voices spoke. She couldn't tell them apart. They were in a round room now. On the very top floor of the lighthouse. She could see the stairs that led to the terrace above where the unused light lay. There wasn't much in the room. Two beds, stripped of their mattresses, dark drapes covering the windows, some junk against the wall. Ran looked around and then focused on the gasping figure on the floor.

She could make out the female body, and blonde hair spread all around, like a halo. It contrasted with the bloody bandages and black fabric around the woman. The kid behind Ran pushed her forward. She complied. If the woman on the floor wasn't injured or sick, she would've probably been beautiful. Ran could see her pale, clammy skin, slim figure, large breasts and an angelic face twisted in agony. The woman opened her eyes, but Ran could only make out the white of her eyes in the dark.

"Who the fuck is that?" She panted. Her voice was raspy. She sounded older than she looked. If it wasn't such a dire situation, Ran would've found that attractive.

"Ranmao. Sparrow delivery service, Mistress." One of the voices spoke from behind the pilot again. They were unusually polite towards this mistress of theirs, in contrast to the way they addressed her. The woman snorted.

"Don't call me that, idiot number one." Ran kind of had the idea of where their bad language habit came from now. "Get over here, delivery jerk." A hand pushed her forward once again and she obeyed. Her heart was still beating insanely, but she wasn't as scared. Somehow, the situation had become ridiculous.

Ran knelt beside the woman in pain. She could see her better now. The blonde was older than her, but not by much. Five or six years most. The woman gave her a onceover.

"Pinjao sent you?" She finally spoke. Ran shivered at the raspy voice. The pilot nodded. "What the fuck?!" The woman suddenly burst and Ran cringed at the volume. "Why the hell did he send you? You aren't even a fucking combatant!" The woman lay back down and growled. Ran felt herself snap, and she ignored the shiver that went through her body at the woman's growl.

"I don't need this, you know!" She jumped up, enraged. She heard blades being drawn behind her, but she was too angry to care. The woman on the floor opened her eyes again and focused on the pilot. "I came from a fricking Sky Island, 10000 meters above sea level, in an untested glider to help you! And now! Now you say you do not want my help!" She could feel her face going red in anger, but she didn't care. She could feel the killing intent from the two kids behind her. It was overwhelming. Terrifying. The woman on the floor was staring at her in shock. Then she laughed. Then she started coughing.

"Mistress!" Two voices shouted at the same time and two kids launched themselves to help the woman. Ran could see them now. Two young boys were helping the woman on the floor. One raised her head into his lap and the other took off the blanket that was placed over her. There was a gaping, bloody wound, clumsily bandaged across the expanse of her chest and stomach. Ran winced.

She could see the trio better now. The two boys were identical. Twins. They were all dressed in black. Their pants and shirts were tight and form fitting. The woman's, however, were clearly not made from the same material. Her clothes gave off a dull shine, like some king of leather. The boys had their heads covered by caps and their faces painted in some kind of black powder paint. Similar to what she had used on the Sparrow. One of them wasn't moving his right arm. Probably broken.

"I'm fine, i1, i2." The woman rasped. "I like her." She said.

"But, Mistress-"

"Don't call me that, idiots!" The woman burst once again. The twins went quiet. For a while the only sounds in the room were the pants of the woman on the floor and the pouring rain outside. Then, the blonde moved to sit up. The twins immediately aided her. "We need to leave."

"You can't move. You're hurt." Ran objected, trying to push the woman back down. A gloved hand caught hers and a knife landed at her throat. The twins stopped her. They were back where they had started. The air in the room changed. It became cold somehow. Both of those kids were ready to kill the pilot. Ran couldn't believe it. They couldn't be older than ten. They were younger than her and probably more deadly than most people she had met. It scared the crap out of her.

"Stand down, idiots." The woman told the twins. "You don't get it." She turned to Ran. "We need to move." She winced. "If we don't, we're dead." Ran felt breath catch in her throat. "All of us." The woman panted again. "Better I die and they live, then we all die." The woman grunted and pushed herself up. The twins helped her. Ran stepped forward to lend a hand, but two sets of identical emerald eyes flashed at her in warning. She froze. "Stop this idiotic act, you idiots. She's alright in my book. Swallow it." The blonde woman said. She was taller than the twins when she stood up. She was taller than Ran, too. "We have been here for half a day. They already know our location. Move. Now." There was no room for discussion.

Getting the woman down the stairs was a right pain. The twins were impossibly stubborn. In the end, Ran burst and made one of them move, letting her take his place. The twin frowned, but allowed it. He and his brother kept exchanging glances all the way to the bottom of the lighthouse. Ran stopped just before they exited the fort. The wounded woman gave her an annoyed look. She was barely holding herself up, even with the help of the two people.

"Do you have any protective headgear? We are going to fly out of here." The pilot enjoyed the look of shock on the twins' faces and the slight widening of the woman's eyes. The boys pointed at their caps. Ran nodded. It would be fine for a short flight. The Sparrow wasn't made to carry a lot of people. With this new design, it would hold, but they would have to stop often. The twin that wasn't supporting the woman went behind them and raised a hood of sorts onto her head. He wrapped it carefully, tucking her hair in. "That will do." The group continued.

The rain was still pouring. The Sparrow was soaked and slick with water. The woman, Sita, winced when the drops hit her body and her half covered wounds. She didn't stop though. She pushed forward and Ran and the twin led her towards the Sparrow. The pilot helped Sita onto the glider. She positioned the woman on her back and instructed her to hold onto the bars. The blonde nodded. Then she froze.

"They're here. Hurry up, you dumbasses."

"I can't feel anything." One of the twins said. The other nodded, agreeing.

"My range is wider, idiots." The blonde murmured through grit teeth, clearly in pain. The pilot slammed open her storage and took out two leather straps. She bent to the bottom of the glider and secured them each on a separate bar by a hook, making two seats of sorts. Ran turned to the twins.

"I'm going to propel the glider up. When I do that, I need you to grab onto the bars below and sit in these seats. Can you do that?" The twins exchanged glances, raising an eyebrow at each other, their expressions identical.

"What do you think, dumbass?" Ran shook her head and put the helmet back on. She slammed the storage shut and jumped onto the top of the glider.

"Duck!" The woman below her yelled and Ran obeyed on instinct. A small blade flew right where her head had been, and imbedded itself into a tree. "The fuckers have caught up! Kill them!" Ran felt her breath leave her body. She kind of wanted to cry. Why did these things happen to her? Why not someone else? "Don't let them live!" Sita yelled. Ran saw the twins charging at a couple of dark figures that held blades that gleamed in the soft moonlight. Fear gripped her as she saw a head fly and she pressed the hidden paddle, the Sparrow taking off. It hovered in the same spot for a while, waiting for its passengers.

"Hey! We need to leave!" She didn't know the twins' names. Fuck. She could barely feel her hands or legs. They had cooled down and gone numb with fear. Sita was yelling something. A couple of blades flew at the glider and Ran pressed the paddle again. The Sparrow took off and made a small, neck breaking circle. Sita caught with one arm onto the pilot's foot, slipping slightly. Ran didn't move and allowed the woman to hold herself still.

She bent forward and changed her position, making the glider fly lower. She felt the weight add onto the one that her machine was already carrying. In an instant, she pressed the paddle once again and took to the skies. The pilot looked back. They were leaving a bloody clearing, full of mangled bodies behind them. Something flashed from the dark and then she turned to the front. With a small tilt of the glider, she saw the twins safe in their makeshift seats.

The pilot took out an Eternal Pose from her pouch and bent forward, over Sita. She changed the Octavo one for this one at the tip of her glider and adjusted course. The first rays of the morning sun lit up the Sparrow. Their next stop was Theobroma Cacao.

~~~~pb~~~~

Penny woke up to the smell of ashwaganda tea and herbs. She blinked and slowly sat up. She was in the medical wing. She hated hospitals, but she could never dislike the medical wing on the Moby Dick. Doc never allowed it to smell like antibiotics. The exotic woman was always making different teas and drying herbs. She would also grind the raw ingredients herself, and she always seemed to smell like mint and honey. It wasn't upsetting like the scent of antibiotics, it was comforting and calming.

Penny went to push off her covers when she noticed Ace. The pirate was sitting in a chair, his hands and head on her bed, dead to the world. She smiled slightly, noticing the snot bubble. Her small hands found his messy hair and she patted it.

"Feeling better?" Penny looked up, only to see the doc drinking tea, sitting on her desk. The woman seemed strangely tired. The look didn't suit her.

"Yes." The small cook answered, her eyes went back to the sleeping pirate. She patted his hair again. "What happened?" Doc stood up and came closer to the girl. She picked up a cup from the nightstand and handed it to the cook. Penny accepted. The cup was still warm, but not uncomfortably hot.

"What do you remember?" Doc sat at the foot of her bed. Her aura was calm and comforting. It was so different from the other times when Penny had seen her. The woman was usually like a volcano. Now, she seemed like a steady river.

"I was preparing ingredients for a new sweets recipe. Something fell. I went to see what was going on and then everything goes black." The girl said. Jade nodded.

"I see. That's alright." Doc stood once again, heading to her desk. She placed her empty cup on the desk and went to her cupboard. Doc took out her supplies and started grinding up more healing paste. She worked in silence, leaving Penny to her own devices. The girl didn't mind, though. She drank some warm tea, patted Ace's hair and enjoyed the rhythmic grinding of the ceramic mortar and pestle.

"Has Ace-sama been here for a long time?" Penny asked once she finished her tea. She placed the cup back on the nightstand. Jade didn't stop her work, but she answered.

"He brought you here." There was a small pause. "There was a fight on deck and you fainted. You're going to be fine, though." Doc turned around, giving her a bright smile. "He acted fast. He's been here the whole morning, keeping that tea warm and talking to you." Jade turned back to her work and continued. Penny looked at the sleeping pirate. Her savior had saved her once more. She felt herself trembling. Her hand shook as she kept patting his hair. Salty drops fell from her eyes and onto the sheets.

Doc heard the soft sobs and turned around. For a moment, she didn't move. Then, the dark woman stood up and walked back to the bed. She slid next to the shaking, sobbing girl and pulled her into her arms.

"Come here, sweetie." Doc cooed and Penny latched onto the exotic woman like a leech. The small girl shook, crying her eyes out. Doc patted her head, murmuring soft nothings into her ear, comforting her. It was about time. A person like Penny, who has suffered something like the trauma with the Hollow Skull Pirates, shouldn't bottle up her emotions. Marco had told Jade that she had had a couple of outbursts, but she still hadn't let it go. Those outbursts were violent, full of self-loathing and hate for the enemy prate crew. These cries, this outburst, it was one of healing. She needed to let it all out, to overcome it and to move on.

Ace smiled, his eyes closed, head still on the bed. He really wasn't equipped to deal with this. But Jade was.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace had breakfast with Penny that morning. Doc left the office, just so she wouldn't see the mountain of half-eaten food scattered all over the place. The raven and the cook had a blast. He goofed off more than he had done in years, just to put a smile and a blush on her face. He almost felt like he was ten again, playing with Luffy. The girl smiling in front of him brought a warm feeling to his chest when she smiled. She was so beautifully alive, her eyes shining in mirth. He kept seeing the empty look that she had had back then, before his Haki had washed over the ship. It haunted him. Without any signs of stopping.

Ace left her in the medical wing after Kondor and some other cooks came to visit. The conversation had become a food discussion, and as much as he loved food, he wasn't a fan of recipes. The pirate found his way to the deck where he looked for Marco. The Commander was nowhere to be found. Next, the raven headed to the first mate's room.

The door was closed, and when he knocked he didn't receive an answer, just silence. Ace ended up sliding down the wall and sitting in front of Marco's room. He didn't really want to enter. If he did, he would've. It wouldn't be the first time that he had awoken the stupid flaming chicken. He just didn't want to enter.

It had been terrifying, last night. Being so close, yet so far away. He was strong, in anyone's opinion. Yet, he had been rendered powerless. That Haoshoku Haki was pure chance. He had saved Penny by luck. Fuck that, Ace thought. He wanted more. He needed more. How was he ever going to protect his precious brothers without enough power? How was he ever going to make Whitebeard the Pirate King?

Ace's mind froze. What? Whitebeard the Pirate King? Since when was that his ambition? Hadn't he wanted to be free? Wasn't that his ambition? To be free and live without regrets. The pirate let his head fall backwards and hit the wall. He must've gone insane. Then again, when he thought about it, he was free. Pops let him do his own thing, no objections. And the crew was great. He didn't really have any regrets either. Maybe he did regret not sleeping with Ran. Wait. Halt. Hold it. What!?

No, no, no. No. Ranmao was his friend. It was possible for a guy to be friends with a girl, right? True, they did kiss. A couple of times. And she had told him that she liked it and she had practically promised to kiss him again. But, still, they were friends. Who kiss under the influence. But still friends.

"Ace, yoi?" The raven looked up and spoke without thinking.

"A girl and a guy can kiss and still be friends, right?" Marco's expression didn't change. He gave Ace a long, incredulous stare, though. Was the kid really coming to him with the romance questions? Oh well, he could do the birds and the bees talk if needed. He really hoped that it wasn't needed.

"Why not, yoi?" The Commander slid down the wall and sat opposite from Ace. The young pirate sat there, pensive, for a few moments. He mussed up his hair, his hat hanging down his back, and looked at Marco again.

"Aren't you supposed to think about the person you like all the time or something?" He seemed so lost. Marco gave a small smile.

"Everyone has their own way of liking someone." The Commander answered slowly. Ace seemed to be drinking up every word.

"What do you mean?" The teen questioned. "How do you know if you like someone then? Or if you are just attracted to them?"

Marco dragged a hand across his face, collecting himself. "I may not be the best person to ask, yoi. Maybe Izo would have a better answer, yoi?" He saw Ace's face fall in rejection. Clearly, the teen was asking him because he felt closer to Marco than Izo. "I think that it's that feeling of wanting something, yoi. Like, when they are close, your eyes somehow focus on them. And, you are constantly comparing all other people that you are attracted to, even a little, to that person, yoi." Marco drifted off, focusing on his own feelings. "And if you're just friends, you're always waiting. Waiting for something, yoi. And when it happens, it's like the world stops." Marco groaned, his head dropping into his hands. "I'm not explaining this very well, am I, yoi?" He peeked up at Ace, through his fingers. The raven seemed deep in thought.

"I think I get it." The teen finally spoke. "I think I get it." He repeated. "It's so messed up. I never thought of her in that way. I mean, she's attractive, sure, but I never thought of not being with her as a regret, you know? And now I am. It's so messed up. I don't know if she even feels the same way. I mean, she kissed me, that means that she's at least attracted to me, right?"

Marco listened to the rant calmly. Ace stopped at one point and stared, waiting for an answer. The Commander gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Why don't you think about it for a while? Maybe you should talk to that girl, too?" Ace nodded, accepting the answer. He stood, Marco getting up, too. The raven nodded again and then walked down the hallway, murmuring a thanks. It wasn't until he was on deck that he realized that he hadn't asked Marco what he had wanted.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace stared at the Den Den Mushi. It was his own snail. The one that Ran had made him get. It was very cute in his opinion. There was a small orange hat on his white head and a tiny red bead around his neck. Ace thought that Ran would like it if she saw it.

Ran. That was his dilemma. He was thinking about calling her. He had taken Marco's advice and thought about the pilot. He had spent the whole morning thinking about her, in fact. He didn't know why he was so fixated on Ran. But he was. So he decided, since he couldn't figure out anything, that he would call her and see if that stirs anything.

That brought him to the current situation. He was sitting on the roof of the Captain's quarters, staring at the small snail. It was innocently looking back at him. He was wondering if he should or shouldn't call her. The pilot may be busy with jobs. Besides, she may have forgotten all about him by now? He had heard that Izo had received a letter from her recently. He hadn't gotten anything. Maybe he shouldn't call.

"Oh, for Calypso's sake! It's been an hour, Ace!" Leo's voice came from behind him. The raven turned around to see his blonde friend's irritated face. "Just pick up the darn snail and call her already!" Ace felt himself flush.

"Her? Who are you-" But Leo cut him off.

"Ran, of course. I was wondering when you were going to get around to calling her." The blonde smiled and settled down next to Ace. "It's about time, really." The younger pirate didn't respond. He turned back to the snail and started another staredown. Leo sighed. "She'll be glad to hear from you."

Ace turned his head sharply. The blonde could swear that he heard a crack. "You think so?" Adorable, the blonde thought. Izo would probably pay to see this.

"I know so." He reassured the reluctant teen. "Now, gather your balls and call." He pushed the white snail towards Ace and the raven recoiled from the small animal, as if it were deadly. Leo shook his head and stood. He walked away from the debating teenager. He would have to figure it out on his own. All Leo could do was give him a push.

Ace stared at the innocent little Den Den Mushi and finally broke. He picked it up and read Ran's number. Then he read the number once more and dialed it.

Purupurupuru!

Purupurupuru!

Nobody was picking up. Ace felt his face fall in disappointment. He was just about to close the line when the signature 'Kacha' was heard.

"This is the Sparrow, I am currently on a job, but how may I help you?" Ran's voice spoke. She sounded out of breath. Ace felt his face heat up and he slammed the line closed. He stared at the innocent white snail for a moment. Then he face palmed. Damn. He had screwed up.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran sat in the hotel room. They had settled in on Theobroma Cacao. She had had to convince her three new companions to stop and actually check into a hotel. They were ridiculously paranoid. She had helped Sita shower and wash her wound. Then they applied some of the medicine that the strange trio had had on them and re-bandaged it. The gash was terrible. It was long, stretching from her left shoulder, in between of her breasts and down her stomach to the right hip. It was clear, even to Ran, that it had been made by a razor sharp blade. However, it wasn't even. The slash went left and right, it looked like the blade had been twisted in places, too. Almost like it was a wound of torture. Ran was surprised that the woman was still conscious and giving out orders. The wound was going to horribly scar. Not like it would be her first scar, her body was full of them. She needed a doctor, too. Ran knew a bit of first aid, she had learned while crashing her many glider prototypes, but this was well beyond her capabilities. The faster they reached Elder Pinjao, the better.

The twins had left for the town sometimes ago. They had washed the remainder of the black dust paint from their hands and faces. The downpour had done quite a number on it first, though. When the two took their black caps and masks off, she noticed just how adorable the twins were. They had almost identical red, messy hair and freckles all over their faces. Their eyes were a brilliant green, following every single move that Ran made. They had offered to go to town and buy provisions. One of the twins had to make a homemade sling for his arm first. They needed treatment. All of them. Ran had engaged in an argument with Sita, trying to convince the stubborn, paranoid woman to allow her to get them a doctor. The pilot lost the fight after a certain number of very colorful cuss words. The wounded woman could cuss. She was worse than a sailor.

Purupurupuru!

Ran jumped from her position in the chair and started looking through her pouches for her Den Den Mushi. She could see Sita glaring from the bed.

Purupurupuru!

Ran finally pulled out the blue snail and picked up.

Kacha!

"This is the Sparrow, I am currently on a job, but how may I help you?" She spoke, a little out of breath, locking eyes with the angry woman on the bed. She seemed ready to pounce, as if the blue snail could transform into a dangerous beast at any moment.

Kacha!

The line went dead and Ran frowned at the snail. She shrugged and put it back into her pouch. They would call back if they needed anything. She tied her pouches back around her waist. The door opened and the twins entered with many bags. They didn't address her, they hurried to Sita's side. Ran nodded to the woman and slipped out of the room. Time to find a doctor for these paranoid idiots. Good thing she had already been on this island a couple of times. She knew a tight lipped doctor.

**That's all folks!**

**Here we see a bit of Ran's character under pressure. She is a right coward, no? And Ace is being very adorable, trying to figure out what he wants xD **

**Wren: I get what you mean! Ace needed a slap into reality, seriously xD He was too arrogant, at least in my opinion. Considering that they are in the New World, I needed to up the game a bit :D **

**Oh gosh… AcexOC stories are out there… a lot… I know because I mostly just read. I've been on fanfiction for a while, and let's be honest, I'm a hardcore Ace fan xD I still haven't watched the Marineford arc without skipping parts and crying… I will have to, before I write that part… Thank the Gods it's still far away xD **

**Back to the point, I've read a loooot of AcexOC, and a lot of suggestions on what to pay attention to and what to avoid while doing an AcexOC before I did mine. I did respect some of those, but still, I try to be realistic, there is no perfect fit. I understand that Ace needs someone to support him, to help him with the self-doubt and all that. However, I didn't make Ran based on the AcexOC mold. I actually made her as an OC before deciding who to pair her up with. Somehow, she ended up fitting Ace best. Maybe that's why she is so independent? I don't really want her to be dependent on Ace, like many of the OCs that I've seen.**

**Florence is hypnotic! I have their albums, lives, demos Goooods xD Her voice is outta this world xD I hope you liked this song choice, too :3 **

**Anyways, just in case you didn't read the top :P This is your chapter, love. Your review made me write like an insane woman xD Didn't want you to fall outta your seat there :D**


	16. Rising Tide

**Welcome back, ladies and gents!**

**I had no idea that this story was going to get so much attention xD This is so weird… Anyways, another fast update… Wren's and Otaku's fault, I swear… Reviews make me go hyper xD **

**Otaku-chan, welcome back, love, I was getting a bit worried! I hope you're all good now, enjoy :)**

**Chapter 16: Rising Tide – Beats Antique (I adore this band *_*)**

Ran wandered around Theobroma Cacao. She got some weird looks, since she was wearing her tight, white pilot suit. Her boots were white, too, with black clasps. There was some mud left on them. But, other than that, she probably looked like some kind of an alien to the citizens. She wandered into a clothes shop. Better blend in.

The pilot browsed through the stacks of clothing. She chose a pair of jean shorts and a colorful tank top. The girl changed into them and paid on her way out. Her pouches looked good on the new shorts. Happy with the quick solution to the uncomfortable stares, Ran folded her suit into a noodle-like bundle and tied it around her waist, too. She felt better with her gloved hands free. Ran shook out her hair and tied it up with her chopsticks. It felt good to hear the familiar jingling of the small bells on the ends as she walked.

Theobroma Cacao was an adorable island in Ran's opinion. She had been contacted a few years ago for a job by a doctor that lived here. There had been a virus epidemic and he had needed someone to quickly deliver medicine to him. Somehow, he got a hold of Ran's number and she accepted the job. She ended up helping him save a lot of citizens, making them fairly grateful to her. Even now, she frequently visited the island. She enjoyed their laid back view on life. And, of course, all the chocolate.

The island had been named after all the cocoa trees around the island. Hence, chocolate products were their specialty. Ran had gotten addicted to the island on her first visit, and she kept coming back. The girl followed the road uphill, looking at all the colorful stores. They had left the rain behind on Septimo and Octavo, here, the weather was beautiful and she was going to enjoy it fully. The scent of rain was still heavy in the air, though, mixing with the intoxicating smell of cooking chocolate. Ran was in heaven.

She noticed a store that mailed special chocolate. This one was painted in pure red, like the color of a sexy lipstick, the symbolic color of love. It was usually used to send chocolate on the so called Valentine's Day, the one when lovers gave sweets to their significant others. The store looked out of business on everyday not close to that day. Ran stopped. She had sent Izo a letter from Arcadia, along with a small souvenir. Maybe she should send Ace something? She considered herself close to him. She also wanted to make her intentions clear to the raven haired pirate. Would this be too forward? She stood outside of the shop for a while, fighting with herself, until she saw these colorful round chocolates in the window of the shop opposite of the red one. She broke, going into the vibrant store.

"Welcome!" The plump man behind the counter greeted the young pilot after the bell on the door jingled, announcing her entrance. Ran gave him a small, polite smile.

"I would like those chocolates, the round colorful ones. Like in the window, please." She stumbled over her words, red faced. This wasn't something that she did every day. The man nodded and turned around. He rummaged through the many decorated bags that rustled softly.

"Do you have any flavor preferences, miss?" The man asked, turning to her. Ran stopped, her mouth slightly open. She didn't know what Ace preferred. She had no idea what kind of sweets he liked. Ran brushed the loose strands of her hair back behind her ears nervously. She was stupid to do this. She should've just left it alone. It's not like she is a member of the Whitebeard Pirates anyways. Ace was probably going to prefer someone less lonely, less independent, closer. Someone not her. She frowned. Ran could feel a prickling sensation behind her eyes. No. She pushed it back. She wasn't going to cry like some love-sick girl. She would be turning twenty soon. And she was no virgin in the heartbreak department.

"Miss?" The vendor caught her attention. "The flavor?" Ran raised her head suddenly. She would play. She was no coward. She would play. If she lost, she lost. Then, she would collect the broken pieces of her heart and try to move on. But she would play the goddarn game.

"What do you suggest?" The pilot asked. "It's a Valentine's gift." The vendor gave her a doubtful look.

"You're a couple of months too early, miss." He smiled at her gently, as if she had no idea what Valentine's was.

"I know. Humor me?" The teen said and leaned against the counter, looking over the interesting bags. The vendor laughed and chose one for her. It was red, orange and yellow, like a burning sunset. She smiled and nodded. It was perfect.

"This is one of the more popular ones, would you like to try one, miss?" Ran perked up at this. The plump man passed her a tray of sweets and pointed the one with tiny orange flakes in it. She took off her glove and popped the chocolate into her mouth. The taste exploded on her tongue. The chocolate was dark and rich and each orange flake crackled on her tongue and spread a bit of a sour flavor before going back to the sweet one. She moaned. This was heaven. "Hehehe~ Good isn't it?" The vendor asked, bringing Ran back to reality.

"This is exquisite!" Ran complimented. Her face was practically shining. "I'll take them!" The vendor nodded, still chuckling. He packed the chocolates in a bag and passed it to her.

"That will be 350 beli, please." Ran sighed at the price. The chocolate may be amazing, but it was expensive. She placed the money on the counter and took the bag of chocolates from him. "He's a lucky boy, miss!" The vendor yelled after the pilot. She heard the bell jingle as she closed the door with a smile on her face.

Next, she walked to the red store. It was a small building, with branch-like structures coming out of the walls. Each hosted two or three birds. Ran walked around, looking for the right one. There birds did a duty similar to News Coo, but they were exclusive to this island. They only carried chocolates and they got paid before they left, not upon delivery.

The pilot looked around, still not seeing the right bird. She saw one, sitting alone on a branch, head down. Ran walked over to the grayish animal. It ruffled its feathers and turned away from her when she came close.

"Hello there, honey." Ran addressed the aviator. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?" The bird ignored her. "You know, I have a friend that's a bird." The ill-tempered bird opened one eye and focused it on Ran. The girl pretended that she didn't notice. "He's a bit bigger than you, you know. We go everywhere together. He has beautiful, wide wings. And a strong beak. He can fly long distances, too. We like to go into storms together and do tricks there." The bird squawked and spread its wings, fluttering. "On our adventures, my Sparrow friend and I, we met this pirate, you know." Ran continued her story, the bird giving its full attention to her now. "I like him. I really do. I dream about him." She paused. "I want to send this to him, you know?" The bird squawked again and extended its wings, preparing for flight. Ran took out a couple of beli bills and put it in the bird's bag, along with the chocolates. She bent slightly to read the name of the carries. "Would you take these to that pirate, Azure? To Portgas D. Ace?" The bird flapped its wings and flew through a roof window with a cry.

Ran smiled and turned around. She quickly noticed green eyes trained on her. She jumped slightly, but quickly recovered. She searched for the other pair of emerald eyes. She didn't find them.

"I'm alone, you asshole." One of the twins, the less wounded one, spoke. Ran frowned at him.

"My name is Ranmao. You can call me Ran." She spoke to the boy icily. She didn't like the twins one bit. She didn't like Sita much either. It was a job, so she would do it, personal feelings aside.

"Who cares." The twin moved to leave the store, his posture tense. Even though the boy was walking in the front, Ran knew that he was keeping an eye on her with Kenbunshoku Haki. Ran glared at his back, but she followed him. He hadn't changed his clothes. He wasn't attracting a lot of attention, though. Without the black dust paint and the cap, he looked like a normal, clad in black boy. It was strange, how harmless he seemed, when mere hours ago, he had been chopping off heads.

"Not that way." Ran called out and the boy turned around, giving her an annoyed look. "I've been here before, alright? I know where to go." The twin sighed and crossed the small space between them. He stared up at the pilot, somehow still managing to look threatening.

"You are looking for a fucking doctor, aren't you, you jerk?" Ran raised an eyebrow at the kid. She was getting used to all the insults in their speech pattern.

"I know a doctor here." She replied, not really giving out information. The twin was still staring her down.

"Can we trust him?" The boy questioned. His tone was a little lighter. It seemed like he was warming up to her.

"Yes." The boy shrugged, breaking eye contact.

"Lead the way, fucker." Ran sighed, but obeyed, giving up on correcting the kid.

~~~~pb~~~~

It was a normal, lazy day for Ace. They had been docked for a while at the Winter Island, with no signs of departing soon. The raven was used to them stopping for only a day, at most. He was quickly getting annoyed by everyone wearing winter clothes and shivering all over. And, he was also getting annoyed at Thatch using him as a personal heater. The Commander had decided that Ace was a perfect little furnace to drag around and he had monopolized the fire Logia fast. Of course, he also pimped, errr rented, his friend to other crew members. The raven was getting annoyed by it quickly. He even started the whole prank war with the Commander again. He had found Thatch passed out from booze at one point and shaved off the man's goatee. He didn't forget to paint his face, either. It took a while for the pompadour to figure out why everyone was laughing. The fight was back on.

Marco had, surprisingly, caught a cold, which was ridiculous, considering his Devil Fruit abilities. He ended up in the medical wing, in doc's care, leaving Ace to train with Leo in his spare time. The raven had begged his pirate brother not to take it easy on him, and the blonde didn't. That was the moment when the raven finally realized what size the gap between him and his former mentor was. And it wasn't small. The blonde pirate was just a lazy fighter. He preferred to sip tea and read the newspaper like an old man.

"Ace!" The pirate in question raised his head a bit, eyes finding Leo. The blonde waved him over and Ace stood and then jumped onto the deck from the roof of the Captain's quarters. He gave his friend a smile. "You tired?" Leo asked.

"Not really. It's been a slow day." Ace replied, looking around the deck. There were pirates around, clearing the snow. The crew had begun replacing the charred planks on the deck with new ones. Ace felt a bit guilty that he had caused the damage, so he volunteered for the extra work.

"Let's find some space and train, then." The other pirate said and led the raven onto the docks. "You coming?" Ace nodded and caught up to the older pirate.

Leo didn't stop for a while. Or talk. Ace was starting to wonder if the man was mad at him for some reason, but dismissed it. Leo didn't get mad. It wasn't in his DNA. He got annoyed. Not mad. Ace watched his former mentor's cloak swish behind him for a while. It was hilarious actually. The blonde had a warm, feather jacket over his usual clothes. This caused his long coat to appear only from his butt down and look like some kind of a demented tail. This, of course, led to Ace imagining his friend with a big, colorful peacock tail. He snorted at the image, getting a weird look from Leo. Next the tail in his mental image opened, like a peacock's would and Ace snapped. He started laughing like a crazy person, holding onto his stomach, almost crying.

"Did you eat strange mushrooms again, Ace?" Leo asked, looking at his friend like he had finally gone off his rocker. The raven looked up, met Leo's eyes and then cracked up again. "Mushrooms tend to do that to you." The blonde waited for a reaction, but Ace just kept laughing. "Want me to help you with your problem?" He smirked, now. Ace shivered as a wave washed over him. A red 'Crap' sign flashed through his mind and he did what any endangered pirate would. He ran, yelling his head off. Leo's eyes glinted maliciously and he gave chase. "Stop! Ace!"

"No!" The raven yelled and ran in between people on the street. His pursuer followed him without problems. The crowd moved to let the duo pass.

"Why not?" Leo yelled.

"Because you're chasing me!" Ace turned slightly to be able to see his pursuer. "Who the heck stops when someone is chasing them?" Leo groaned and sped up. "Craaaaap!" Ace tried to speed up as much as he could. He quickly turned a corner and sprinted down an alley. He could hear Leo following. His tail was probably swishing behind him. Like a running peacock. Ace started laughing again.

"Ace! You better block this!" This was the raven's only warning before a Haki infused fist flew at him from behind. The pirate did a weird cooked-noodle-evade, his eyes popping in surprise.

"Are you insane?!" Ace yelled, preparing to give the blonde a handchop to the head. His hand connected with Leo's head and he yelped. It hurt like hell. Leo smirked, retracting Haki from his temple.

"Quite a lot." Oh yes he was. Ace could tell. His eyes widened at the incoming fist. Time to run.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran caught yet another current, staying close to sea level. It was strange, having passengers again. The trio were nothing like Ace. They didn't speak, not even to complain. The twins sometimes murmured to each other, but Ran didn't catch any of that. The wind was too strong and they weren't loud enough. Sita was quiet. She slept a lot. At some point, Ran tried to chain the woman to the glider, like she had done to the narcoleptic, only to meet Sita's alert eyes as soon as she tried. The woman was always on guard.

They had left Theobroma Cacao a few hours ago. Her friend, the doctor, had checked out her three strange companions. He had set the twin's arm and he had inspected the boys for other injuries. The other twin had some minor cuts and bruises and a bruised rib. He also had choke marks on his neck. A full set of fingerprints. The doctor had cleaned out Sita's would and confirmed Ran's suspicion. Those were the marks of torture. He had stitched the long cut and then applied medicine and bandaged it up. He had advised them to rest and given them pills to take. Sita wouldn't listen, though. She insisted that they leave the island the very next day, her life be damned. Ran didn't argue with that. The woman had been too adamant.

Ran looked at the woman in question. Sita was laying on the back of the Sparrow, sprawled out. She was holding onto the bars with her hands with an iron grip, unmovable. She looked almost serene. After she had washed herself, Ran had noticed the aristocratic high cheekbones and the soft features of her face. They clashed horribly with the cold, deadly look in her dark eyes. Which were thankfully closed right now. The woman scared the heck out of Ran. Then again, so did the twins. She took out the golden device that she usually used to locate Arcadia. Ran adjusted the small golden hand of the machine and bent forward to get it as close to the Eternal Pose as possible.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Sita spoke. Ran looked down. She had needed to bend over the woman to reach the Pose. The pilot sighed and gave in.

"This is the Magnet Watch. It was made on my home island. We use it to tune into certain magnetic waves. Like this." Ran adjusted her position so Sita could see the face of the device. "I point this hand at a certain picture, and then I tune into the magnetic wavelength." Sita's eyes were wide, taking in the words with curiosity. Almost like a child. "It can remember some wavelengths. For example, it remembers my home island's."

"And what the hell are you doing now? You already have a fucking Eternal Pose." Sita spoke as Ran returned to her previous position.

"Yes, I have an Eternal Pose for Elder Pinjao's home. However, I want to know how far we are and how many islands there are in between here and there." Sita nodded. She was silent for a while as Ran inspected the ticking device in her hand. She read the information and changed their course a bit.

"What the fuck?" Sita grabbed her leg in an iron grip, as if warning her. Ran swallowed her annoyance and explained.

"We should get some rest, no? And maybe a late lunch?" The grip on her leg lessened, but the hand stayed there. Ran gave up on reasoning with the paranoid woman. She allowed the contact, though. She enjoyed it. The twins murmured something from below, but Ran didn't catch it. The wind had picked up with the new current.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Hey, Ace!" One of the Whitebeard Pirates called the exhausted raven over. The pirate complied, stumbling towards the man. He had been training with Leo for the past few hours. It had been a real blast. That was a very sarcastic remark. The blonde had been a right demon. Ace was pretty sure that Marco had been very lenient towards his 'battle education'. Leo had been quite lazy too. Now that the blonde had put his teacup and newspaper down. Well. Better run. Or buckle up.

"Have you seen this?" The crewmember passed Ace a newspaper. "Read page number six." And with that, the man left. Ace opened the paper and searched for said page. 'Zodiac sighted' read the title. Ace frowned and started reading.

_Zodiac sighted_

_A suspected member of the infamous organization, more commonly known as the Zodiacs, has been sighted leaving the island of Octavo, on the Grand Line, in the early hours of the morning of the 10th._

_Witnesses say that the woman landed in an unregistered flyer on the island, in the heavy downpour, and kidnapped two children. The UFO denied any connections to the, suspected Zodiac, pilot. However, this wasn't enough for the bloodthirsty assassin. The woman obliterated ten people, and left their mangled bodies in her wake._

_The strange flyer was seen leaving the island less than an hour after landing, the kidnapped children strapped to the bottom of it._

_The World Government has answered the demands of the people of Octavo by putting the bounty of 10 000 000 beli on this pilot's head. A Wanted poster of the woman is enclosed with the other Wanted poster. _

_We invite everyone who has more information to contact us…_

Ace stopped reading. Pilot? It couldn't be. He flipped to the middle of the newspaper, where the wanted posters were. Sure enough, there was one of Ran. He sighed and sat down. At least she looked hot. Ace inspected the poster again. Ran was on her glider, looking back over the shoulder, flying away. She was wearing a white, tight suit, and the raven couldn't help but groan. He remembered her bikini and shorts, but this was worse. This left nothing to the imagination, but didn't really show anything either. She had a new helmet, though, and her signature goggles were missing. The bulky, golden helmet didn't hide her long, slightly wavy hair that swished behind her like a chocolate cape. Ran's face was twisted in what looked like anger, but Ace knew better. It was her face of fear and worry. He had seen it one too many times when he had done reckless things. There was some blood on her face, too. The worst part of the picture, though, was that it was raining. The young pilot was completely wet. Ace groaned again and closed the newspaper. He couldn't look at the picture anymore.

Ace stood. He should find Izo and tell the Commander. He should tell Pops, too. The pilot wasn't a fighter. She would get caught easily now that she had a bounty on her head. Maybe Whitebeard could do something to help her? Would Pops even want to? Should he? Wasn't she an ally? He should.

Ace forgot his tired muscles and searched for Izo, asking random crewmembers about the pink Commander. Why was Ran suspected of being a Zodiac, though? Yes, he knew a bit about the assassin organization. He would be a fool to be oblivious. Kidnapping children was a thing that they did. But, Ran, a Zodiac? No way. She must've gotten mixed up in this mess somehow. Had he called her in the middle of that job? Oh Calypso, if he hadn't hung up, maybe he could've helped her earlier! Ace mussed up his hair and banished the thoughts. No. He would be optimistic. The girl was most likely safe. She knew how to take care of herself. She was fine. Would she be annoyed if he tried to help? More than likely. But, he would risk it.

"Izo!" Ace spotted his target. The Commander turned around, surprised at the visit. He put down the chart that he had been going over as Ace came closer.

"What's wrong, Ace?" The Commander noticed right away that the raven was upset. Ace didn't say anything, he just thrust the newspaper into Izo's arms.

"Page six." And the young pirate left for the deck. He was going to find Pops and talk to him about helping Ran.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace found Whitebeard on the deck, in his usual chair, with his usual daily dosage of sake next to him. Marco was sitting near the old pirate, which was also a normal occurrence. However, Leo was there, too. Now that wasn't too normal. Ace approached, catching the snippets of their conversation.

"-do something?" Leo finished. Marco shook his head.

"Have you been in contact with her?" Whitebeard boomed. Ace crept closer, not really bothering to hide his presence.

"Izo has. I think Ace called her, too. I'm not sure how that went." Leo answered. Marco shrugged.

"I don't really know anything, yoi." The phoenix said. "I think Ran would call if she was in trouble, yoi."

"Are we going to help her?" Ace asked, joining the men. Whitebeard didn't say anything. He drank some sake. Ace turned to Marco. The first mate didn't meet his eye. The raven looked at Leo.

"We don't really know anything about the situation, Ace." The blonde said. "I don't know what we could do." Ace felt his anger spike. Ran was in trouble. She never chose sides. She was even paying the Government for a flying license for Calypso's sake. Ran a member of the Zodiacs? Impossible. The bounty had to be some kind of a mistake. She was probably being blackmailed into doing that job. She needed help.

"Isn't she our ally?" The raven spoke. His nails bit into his palms. He was shaking, but his voice was low and calm.

"Ace-" Marco began.

"Isn't she?" He looked to Whitebeard. Marco didn't speak this time. Neither did Leo. Whitebeard drank his sake calmly. "If that is how you treat your allies I wonder how you treat your sons?!" The pirate yelled. "Ran worked for us! She delivered to us and for us even though we are outlaws! And now, when she is in trouble, we aren't going to do anything?!" He was shouting now. The pirates on deck had stopped working and were looking at them, listening.

"Ace-" Leo tried this time, but the raven rounded on him next.

"Aren't you her friend?! Talking to me about family and allies! Telling me how we take care of our own! Mentoring me! And now? What now? You're just going to abandon her?" The young pirate's voice faded slowly.

"Ace!" Whitebeard boomed in warning. His aura spiked. Ace turned around, eyes furious. "We don't have enough information, son." Ace opened his mouth to yell again, but Whitebeard cut him off. "However, we are doing everything we can with what we currently have." Moments of silence passed. Ace looked to the ground.

"Sorry." He murmured. "I didn't mean all that."

"Gurararara!" The huge pirate laughed. Ace looked up in shock. "You did. You wouldn't be my son if you didn't. All is forgiven, there was no ill will in your words." Ace dropped down, his legs giving out.

"I will inform the Commanders of the meeting, yoi. Rakuyo will be back within days. We will wait for him, yoi." Marco gave Ace a gentle smile and then stood and left.

"Meeting?" The raven questioned. Leo nodded to him.

"Ran isn't a member of this crew, Ace. But, we want to help. We need to make a decision, so all the Commanders need to vote on the actions that we will take." Ace nodded.

"Why did they think that she is a Zodiac, though? And shouldn't her bounty be higher? Aren't the Zodiacs a big force?" The raven questioned.

"It's probably a cover up." Whitebeard spoke. "I don't doubt that Ran was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. A naïve girl like her, she would take a job without asking too many questions." Ace opened his mouth to speak, but the Captain continued. "The Navy has been working with the Zodiacs for a long time. Covering their aftermath with a scapegoat would be simple. No one will miss an unknown girl." The Captain sipped more sake.

"She's been discreet in her dealings with pirates, after all." Leo added. Ace jumped up.

"I'm going to call her." He looked to his Captain. Whitebeard nodded.

"Find out what is going on." Ace left the deck to find a quiet place to talk.

~~~~pb~~~~

They had landed a few hours ago. Sita insisted that they stay in an abandoned house and not in a hotel. She was so forceful that Ran gave in in the end. The twins were quick to unpack and help their companion to the makeshift bed. The two tried to re-dress her wound, but they weren't doing a good job. Ran got annoyed and shooed them away to get food. She cleaned the cut, applied the antibiotics and the salve and wrapped it back up.

Her hands brushed against Sita's pale skin as she worked, painfully aware of the dark eyes following her every single movement. Ran secured the bandage with a bit of medical tape and traced her fingers gently over the snowy material. She saw Sita's muscles move as she touched. A hand grabbed hers. The woman's hand was strong, calloused, no doubt from various kinds of martial arts. Ran would be a fool not to realize what these people were. Assassins. The way they moved, talked, were paranoid and genuinely immune to pain. Ran was naïve, not stupid.

The pilot relaxed her hand, allowing Sita to do what she wanted. The blonde woman traced Ran's fingers, almost gently, as if she was reading a story from the palm. The teen looked at the woman, only to see the dark eyes trained on her.

"You've never used a weapon." It wasn't a question. Ran nodded shakily. Her heart was drumming in her chest for some reason. "Beautiful." The pilot didn't register what the woman's raspy voice had said at first. Then she searched the blonde's face for lies. Not like she could find them, even if Sita was lying.

The woman struggled to sit up and Ran immediately aided her. The blonde welcomed the strong hands of the pilot that helped her into a more comfortable position. She extended one hand into Ran's hair and stroked the loose parts gently. The pilot wasn't sure what to do. She didn't really understand this woman. She was attracted to her, yes, but she was also pissed off at her most of the time. Nothing Sita did ever made sense to Ran. The pilot never knew what to expect. It was terrifyingly arousing.

The woman suddenly gripped the chocolate strands and pulled them forward, bringing Ran closer, too. Her scalp hurt like hell, but it only went into the pit of her stomach, causing her to get even more excited. She didn't doubt that Sita knew exactly what she was doing to the pilot. Their faces were so close now. Ran could count Sita's eyelashes. The woman opened her mouth, causing her bottom lip to brush gently along Ran's top one and the younger girl sighed. Her brain had turned to non-functioning mush.

"You are absolutely adorable." Sita spoke, their skin barely touching. However, Ran could feel every movement, every breath. Was this how Ace had felt when she had teased him? Just a little closer. Ran moved slightly forward, looking forward to the clash of their lips.

Purupurupuru!

Sita pulled away, her face on alert, eyes dangerous. Ran groaned and took out her Den Den Mushi from her belt pouch. She nodded to the woman and left the house to talk in private.

"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" The sentence came out automatically, she didn't even think about it. Heck, Ran was still thinking about the sexy woman a few meters away.

"Ran!" Ace's voice came from the snail and the tone went straight to her, already excited, stomach. She had forgotten how good his voice sounded. Fuck. Focus.

"Ace?" Ran schooled her voice to be as neutral as possible, but she was pretty sure that she sounded a bit out of breath.

"Thank Calypso! I was worried." Ran frowned.

"Why?" The snail jumped funnily as Ace's voice sounded once again.

"The article in the newspaper, of course! The whole thing with the Zodiacs!" Now, he completely lost her. Totally.

"What are you talking about?" Ran asked.

"You don't know? You have a bounty on your head, idiot!" The pirate answered, sounding surprised. Ran laughed. Ace waited it out and then a short silence ensued.

"This isn't funny." The pilot said. Her tone was icy. A warning. Ace had never heard it before. Sita was rubbing off on the teen.

"It's not a joke. Get a newspaper." The pirate sighed. "Are you alright? Do you need help? Pops is calling a Commanders meeting to decide how to lend you a hand." Ran shook her head.

"No. No. Don't get involved. I'm not a criminal. This must be some kind of a misunderstanding. I'm going to turn myself in. Clear it up." Ace snorted from the other side.

"Are you nuts?! They put a bounty on your head! They branded you as a Zodiac... Publicly... You will have crazy idiots chasing you down, trying to take your head! Do you understand that, Ranmao?" He didn't mean anything bad by it, but he was smothering her, tying her down. Even though he was just trying to help her. Ran knew that the pirate didn't do it on purpose. It was just his way of trying to give her a hand. But, it was wrong. And she was frustrated already, she just snapped.

"You know what, Ace? Fuck off!"

Kacha!

Ran slammed the line closed and stared at the Den Den Mushi. Her eyes prickled with tears. A bounty on her head? Fuck. She wiped at her eyes. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She had just rejected the help of a Yonko, too. She heard soft footsteps behind her, but she didn't turn around. She recognized the twins talking to one another. Now that she was close, she could hear their words properly. They weren't talking in a language that was familiar to her.

But for once in her life, Ran didn't give a fuck about others. She jumped onto her feet and the twins quieted. The pilot marched into the house and caught Sita's slightly surprised stare.

"I'm going for a ride, I'll be back." And without waiting for an answer the girl stormed out, heading for the Sparrow.

**That's all folks!**

**Ok, my rant time:**

**Why is Ace so angry? **

**They have been at this island for a while and frankly, he is bored. No one is playing with him as much as he is used to, as they are rather constricted by jackets and the cold, and he isn't. **

**He is aware of his weakness (flashback to the fight with those pirates and Penny's little mishap), and he is trying to get stronger, but is still frustrated with his, now obvious to himself, weakness (remember, it looks huge to him)**

**He has been forced to face his feelings for Ran, which he has realized that he has, and frankly, it scares the crap out of him. Hence, he is lashing out, in anger, as he doesn't know how else.**

**Why does he react so strongly to the wanted poster and the article?**

**All the pent up anger and frustration and his knowledge of Ran's hippie style of 'world peace'**

**Ok, I'm done, onto the review!**

**Wren: Ace is adorable xD I figure that he would act like that hehehehe~ You will find out more and more about Sita, she is actually a main character in another story in progress of mine, hopefully, I will get around to finishing it and publishing it xD**

**Love, reviews feed me! I eat them and spit out chapters, feel proud! **

**I have seen a lot of the 'Oh Ace catch me' ones xD I was inspired by this one fanfic a lot, it's called Freckles by Coeur de Coquelicot, it's a bloody amazing fic! **

**Reading is worse… I read it, waiting for when they were going to save Ace and then… Then… I was like fraaaaack let me write a fricking fanfiction, ok?! **

**Ran… Oh man… Actually, the Zodiacs were ones who were born first. Then, they developed insanely. This one character kind of formed, I don't think that she will spear in this fic, and then I saw the episodes with Trafalgar Law and made Sita, a dangerous outlaw bounty hunter. Ran appeared somewhere in the midst of me developing all that. She was this 'neutral' hippie character, who didn't really want to choose a side. She is a stranger to the ways of the Blue Sea, and she likes the different regime, the freedom. Basically, she is the one who wants to be free. Her story kind of built up from there. I was inspired by many things, from Ghibli, Treasure Planet, many movies and animes to my own experiences. I wanted someone to be unaffected by the whole Marines vs Pirates things and I wanted to experiment with that idea. Next, I became obsessed with Ace. This story is the product of what my insane brain cooked up after all that. Frankly, I didn't think that it would become this popular.**

**Wow, that was long… I never thought about how I develop my OCs… They just appear… hahahahhah xD Don't jump outta your seat now xD Btw, the review alert woke me up, and then I read it, and couldn't go back to sleep, so I figured I'd get up and write xD My chapters are ridiculously long… **

**I'm not sure what is going on with Marco and doc… it wasn't planned…. It just took flight over there…**

**Hope you enjoyed :)**


	17. The Maiden and the Selkie

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**My chapter size is going insane xD I can't stop xD I really didn't expect this story to get so much attention… Kind of embarrassed ^.^ Thank you guys so much! **

**Thank you MusicWritesLife for the fav! Welcome, sweetie! **

**As always, I appreciate all the input :D Thanks Wren, Otaku and annie for the reviews! You made me go kbgwbbvkjjbgbvobv on my keyboard as fast as possible :3**

**This time the song is a bit of a hint on what is going to happen, any guesses? (Oh I'm eeeevil)**

**Enjoy, everyone! **

**Chapter 17: The Maiden and the Selkie - Heather Dale**

Leo was going to burst. A full week had passed since Ace had returned from his 'private', not with Izo knowing, conversation with Ran. He had told Pops that the pilot was fine and didn't want help and left to sulk. Well, he didn't admit that he was sulking, but Leo knew. His friend had been irritable, pissed at everyone, handing out cuss words left and right and was unusually quiet. Heck, Leo had seen the pirate pushing his food around his plate last night. It was serious.

The blonde understood, Ace had his own mistakes, and his own love problems, but this was ruining him. At first, the peaceful man had pushed Ran at his former charge, thinking that the girl would be Ace's distress blanket. Obviously, he had been wrong. He had miscalculated. The pilot liked Ace. Leo knew that much. Well, Izo did. Leo was just good at getting information from the drunken Commander. And he was pretty sure that Ace liked her back. He had seen the younger pirate watching her, back when she had been on the Moby Dick. He knew that look well. Perhaps he had been wrong to push.

Ran wasn't an irritable woman. He knew that. She was easy going, most of the time in her own world, not really bothered by anything. She got antsy when she was on the ground for too long, but that was it. Leo figured that a woman like that could help Ace with his anger issues. Yes, the raven had anger issues. And insanity issues. The pirate was frighteningly reckless. Leo sighed, not paying attention to the horizon that he was supposed to be watching. They had set sail once again, their course set towards Wano Kuni.

"You broke him!" Thatch climbed over the edge of the crow's nest and dropped himself down. He looked desperate, about ready to cry. Leo raised an eyebrow. He didn't need this. An upset Thatch was a pain in the ass. Even when Leo wasn't beating himself up. "Fix him!" The Commander complained.

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked. He rubbed his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping much.

Thatch shook his head, his hands waving around madly. "Ace!" He explained. "You broke him!" The Commander supplied.

"It's not Leo's fault." Izo appeared and plopped into the crow's nest. "I meddled, too." The pink Commander sighed. "We need to fix this."

"Aye." Thatch agreed from the floor.

"Ideas?" Leo asked, finally focusing at the task at hand. Izo nodded, fiddling with his kiseru. The three pirates bent forward, plotting.

~~~~pb~~~~

A few hours passed before they finished their epic plans. After the two Commanders left Leo realized that, in the end, they didn't really have a big 'strategy' or anything. Thatch and Izo were destructive in a combination. They spent most of the time that were supposed to be plotting just bickering. Like two kids. It was impossible.

Leo sighed. It hadn't been a good day for him. Heck. It hadn't been a good week for him. He missed having Ace to keep him on his toes. It was scary. Leo had sworn to stay away from people. For their own sake. Ending up in the Whitebeard Pirates had definitely not been in his plan. But, it had sort of happened. And, let's face it, he couldn't live without these idiots anymore.

Smiling at the thought, Leo scanned the horizon. Nothing. Yes. Not even a comment from beside him. He wasn't used to being up here without Ace. The raven had grown on him so much. He really needed to do something. The blonde picked up the binoculars and did another sweep. Was that a bird? His heart started drumming in his chest? Had Ran been so idiotic to actually come here? No, she didn't know their location. The bird neared and Leo could tell apart the gray body from the bluish wings. It flew straight at the Moby Dick and landed right next to Leo. He froze.

It was just a bird. But it was staring at him, with surprisingly intelligent eyes. It squawked. Leo moved back. He noticed a small leather bag attached to the bird's claw. He walked forward to inspect further, leaning towards the creature, when mayhem ensued. The bird started screeching and raised his claws in defense, attacking the unsuspecting pirate. Leo yelped and moved back, trying to shield himself with his hands. He heard people laughing on the deck. They were truly horrible sometimes.

~~~~pb~~~~

Elder Pinjao entered the room with steaming cocoa. Sita slowly raised herself up in her bed, smiling at the Elder. It was an unusual expression on her face. So genuine. The woman was battle hardened, made of ice. She shielded herself with sarcastic remarks and cuss words, not showing the soft insides. Pinjao gave her a shaky, missing teeth, smile and handed her a cup of the hot beverage.

There was a snow storm raging outside. The wind was howling, yelping and hitting the windows, like it had gone mad. And Sita preferred it like that. Ran had gone off somewhere to be depressed. Probably to work on her new invention in the barn. Finally away from the blonde woman. And boy, she was thankful for it. The pilot had been in a bad mood since her wanted poster came out. Sita felt a bit guilty about it, actually. If she hadn't asked Pinjao for help, he wouldn't have asked the strange pilot to aid her. Then again, she would probably be dead of that were the case. And so would the twins.

Sita drank some cocoa. It was wonderful. She could tell that the twins liked Ran. No matter how cautious they had been in the beginning, they liked her. They were just kids. Easily impressed. Seeing the Sparrow had pretty much sealed the deal.

"How are you feeling?" The old man asked. He had sat down next to Sita's bed. She locked her eyes with him.

"Tired, but better." The woman spoke. "It's a nasty one. And I'm getting older. The body isn't healing as fast as it used to." Sita drank more cocoa and stretched, slowly and painfully, to leave her cup by the bedside.

"It will heal."

"Like all the rest of them." The woman confirmed. She was scarred all over. Ruined. Spoiled. Not like she cared. She didn't need a man. Besides, which man was going to take her in with the twins? Two crazy, little, idiotic assassins ready to kill at any moment? Really. Noone. Well, maybe a man with a death wish. Sita banished the thoughts. They were troublesome. "The girl?"

Pinjao looked at her and then shrugged. "The same." Ran had been by Sita's side a lot for the past week. Usually, the blonde wouldn't mind that. She found the pilot attractive and intriguing. Strangely, fresh somehow. But, dealing with depressed people was not Sita's forte. In fact, it was a pain. So when Ran left to work on something each day, the assassin gave a sigh of relief. The pilot would spend hours building something in the barn. Then she would come back into the house and walk through Sita's room. Giving the woman a nice, full view of her sweaty, oil and soot covered self. Sita was pretty sure that the girl had no idea what she was doing to her.

"It's my fault." Sita spoke. Elder Pinjao raised his eyes to the woman once more. She was inspecting the wall, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "They wouldn't have pinned in on her had I just not been this stupid and got hurt."

"It's not your fault. These things happen." The elder reassured her. "Ran understands. There are times when we do our best, and don't really get a good outcome." Sita didn't answer for a moment.

"The world is cruel." She said after a while.

"Everyone has their own views. What seems cruel to you, may seem like justice to someone else." Pinjao answered, eyes downcast. Sita snorted, but didn't retort.

~~~~pb~~~~

The bird had been hanging around the Moby Dick for a while. Leo evaded the thing as much as he could, even though it was quite persistent. At some point, one of the nurses told him that it was a Coco bird, one that sent out some kind of love chocolates. Leo figured that the bird was lost or something. Or looking for Thatch, that is. He and his many flings. But seriously, who the heck sends chocolates to a pirate?

Leo left his post at the crow's nest to Chameleone and headed towards the deck. He saw Thatch painting Ace's sleeping face and shook his head. That was not going to cheer the raven up one bit, but hey, the Commander did have the best in mind. Leo walked towards the medical wing. The best place to get tea.

Whitebeard had held a Commanders meeting in the end, after Rakuyo had got back. It had been decided that if Ran asked for any help, they would give it, however, if she didn't, they would leave it alone. People live normal lives, even with bounties on their heads. Leo had heard that Izo had been asking for Pops to let Ran join the crew. That didn't go too well. There was a bit of tension among the Commanders at this point. Sure, Ran had been a great help, doing her delivery service, but she wasn't a pirate. She delivered for civilians, Marines, pirates and rebels alike, no prejudice. The Commanders were fine with her as an ally, but not as a crew member. Not unless she gave up some of her jobs that concerned enemy ships and the Navy. Besides, Leo couldn't really imagine the girl staying on the ship for long periods of time. In other words, Ran wasn't fit to be a pirate, no matter how much Izo wanted her to be.

He sighed and opened the door to doc's office with a light knock. Doc was standing near the bed, on which Penny was sitting, and the dark woman was inspecting the girl.

"I don't see anything wrong. Just try and get some more sleep." Doc finished. Penny nodded. Leo noted how the girl looked less pale than the last time he had seen her. She had been released from the medical wing a while back, but doc demanded that the girl come for regular checkups.

The tiny girl stood. "Thank you very much for your time." She gave a tiny bow and left. Undoubtedly to find Ace. These days Penny was the only person Ace actually hung out with. Maybe it was due to the fact that the girl was so quiet, so meek. Somehow, her presence was calming. Maybe Leo had been wrong to push Ran on Ace and should've indulged in the less obvious, but undoubtedly more suited choice. Why was he even doing this? It wasn't his place. It was Izo's job to meddle. No doubt, the man had.

"Tea?" Jade asked. She could tolerate Leo. He wasn't prone to stupidity like other pirates that she knew. The blonde knocked over a couple of lab flasks and test tubes and started apologizing. Scratch that, he was just as much trouble as the rest of them. "Tea it is." Doc decided and turned on her burner.

Leo settled on the edge of the bed, tucking in his feet and hands, just in case. He looked miserable. Doc frowned at him.

"I am not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, Leo. Don't play this game with me." Doc snapped and Leo straightened in his seat. She glared at him. Volcano, he thought. "Pick yourself up and go fix it!" Doc yelled now. Leo jumped up.

"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted and ran towards the door like a pack of sea kings were on his tail, tea forgotten.

~~~~pb~~~~

Penny found Ace and Thatch on deck. The latter was running away from the raven. She started to smile at the picture when Ace began yelling. The cook frowned. This wasn't their usual banter. She came closer to the scene that everyone was ignoring and jumped in between the yelling raven and the cowering Commander.

"Stop!" Her voice rose, surprising everyone. Ace shut up, for once, looking in shock at the girl. She threw Thatch a look and he scampered away. Penny grabbed Ace's hand and dragged him towards the roof of the Captain's quarters. She knew that he felt comfortable there. The pirate followed without complaints.

Penny struggled to get onto the roof, but the man behind her gave her a boost. She heard a small chuckle come from his chest and smiled. That was a good sign. They sat, one across the other, Ace cross-legged and Penny politely tucking her legs under her. She gave a small smile at the pirate's painted face and licked her thumb. She grabbed his face and bent forward, trying to get the worst of it off. Ace raised an eyebrow, but didn't protest.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" The tiny girl said, her tone gentle. Ace didn't speak for a while.

"I don't know." He said finally. Penny paused in her movements, giving him a questioning look. Ace let out a shaky breath and finally spoke. "You know about Ran, right? The delivery service pilot?" The cook nodded. "Well, we had a falling out of sorts." Penny nodded once more.

"Would you like to talk about it?" She asked gently. Ace shrugged. For a moment, there was silence as Penny attempted to wipe more paint off of Ace's face, now using her sleeve, as well. Suddenly, the pirate started talking, and he didn't stop.

~~~~pb~~~~

Sita managed to get herself out of bed. Her wound had been getting better, but it still hurt like hell. The twins didn't allow her to go alone anywhere, when she went somewhere. And that was usually nowhere. Pinjao wasn't really happy about her leaving the bed, either, so she tended to try and stay down. Ran, she didn't mind. She understood that Sita couldn't stay still. It wasn't in her nature to stay down.

So, Sita scrambled out of bed, holding her abdomen tenderly. She headed towards the barn, grabbing a wool jumper on the way. She frowned at the ridiculous picture of a reindeer on the front, but pulled it over her head carefully anyways. Pinjao had lent them one of the new, still unused houses to stay in, and a barn, where Ran could keep her bird. Sita, was, of course, going to reimburse the man for his trouble. Money was no issue to her. She also didn't allow the old Elder to pay Ran for the job. Sita wanted to pay the girl herself. She considered herself indebted to the pilot. She owed the girl her life.

Cold air hit the woman's body as she walked out. She shivered and headed to the barn, her head tucked in. The door didn't creak when she opened it and some snow got in. Sita closed it behind herself quietly, on instinct, not really bothering to check the room for threats. Pinjao's village was safe. Always. She looked around, finding Ran right away. The pilot was under her bird, her back on a plank with wheels, working on the glider. The teen undid some gears and put them on the floor. Sita stood, watching the girl work. It was intriguing. The girl was intriguing. Arousing. Sita wanted her. And she got exactly what she wanted.

Ran pushed herself with her legs, the wheels of the contraption below her screeched as she moved. The pilot jumped up, taking the gears with her and walked towards the other machine in the room, the one that she had been building during the week. She obviously hadn't noticed Sita yet. The assassin took off the wool jumper. The heater in the room was making the place toasty. Sita pulled the sleeves of her nightgown further down. The thing was made out of blue, soft wool, one of the main products of this village, and it hugged her slim figure perfectly. Sita had almost puked when she had first seen it. This pure color didn't suit her. She was tainted. However, she had gratefully accepted it.

Ran worked on the machine, soft clicks and the muffled sounds of the storm outside the only noise in the room. Sita watched, from the shadows, enjoying the show. Every move the girl made was hypnotic to the blonde. So Sita stood there, watching for a few moments. A pang in her stomach shook her out of her fantasy. She looked down and saw a red, quickly spreading spot on the soft fabric of her dress. Damn, she thought, before her legs gave out. Ran jumped at the sound of the falling body. She whirled around and saw Sita gasping on the floor. The pilot jumped up and ran towards her without hesitation.

"Sita? Hey! Sita!" The pilot carefully adjusted the position of the woman's body, pulling the nightgown up. She forced herself to ignore the pang of arousal that hit her when her fingers brushed against the woman's legs.

"This is-gah-not how I imagined this-argh!" The assassin gasped through her pain, a twisted smile on her face. Ran frowned.

"How can you joke at a time like this!?" The pilot scolded. "Where does it hurt? Oh, by the Storm Thief!" Ran finally saw the problem after she removed the bloody bandages. The wound that had been healing nicely was wide open again, some kind of insects crawling out from it. Sita screamed in pain. Ran panicked. "Oh, Aeolus! What should I do? Call the Elder? Sita! Hey!" The blonde had stopped screaming and gasping, her head lolled to the side, completely still. Ran pressed her ear against the bloody breast of the woman, searching for a heartbeat. She found none. The pilot froze.

Everything went silent, except her own blood. It was rushing through her veins, pumping into her heart. Her brain went into overdrive. She couldn't quite explain it. It was like she knew what to do. Like she knew everything. Bits and pieces of information that she had collected throughout her life came together, finally making sense. The puzzle completed and her body moved. She grabbed Sita under her arms and dragged her to the Sparrow. Next, the pilot undid the breast plate of her bird and took out the golden cord that was usually used for core connecting. She was faintly aware of the heat on her forehead, but she dismissed it. The girl pulled on the golden thread, not surprised when it lengthened. She connected the end of the thread to Sita's chest. Where her still heart was.

Ran watched in fascination as the cord went in, through the skin, gently, almost like it was moving the skin away to pass. The pilot lowered her bloodied cheek back down, trying to hear a change in the woman's chest. The first soft thrum was so faint that she though that she had imagined it. The second was louder. And the third was normal. Sita was alive. The sound of the storm outside came back, along with the singing of the Sparrow. The bird was rejoicing. Ran jumped up, leaving the half-naked woman with her bird, ignoring the budding insects in the wound, not bothering to get anything over her sweat soaked tank top and ran to look for Elder Pinjao.

~~~~pb~~~~

It took a while for Ace to finish his story. When he did, Penny didn't talk for a while. He waited expectantly. Penny wasn't sure what to think. She didn't know this Ran woman. She shouldn't be the one to judge. But, she had asked to listen to Ace's problems. Now, she needed to give him a solution. How could she? She had no right. So, she did what she could.

"Ace-sama, I like you." Penny looked up from the paint stained hands in her lap and stared into Ace's eyes. He looked surprised at her confession, like he hadn't had a clue. Hadn't she been obvious about it?

"I like you too, Penny! We're friends!" Ace laughed nervously, giving her a way out. But, Penny didn't want a way out. She was a pirate now. She was brave.

"No. You like Ran-san." Ace raised an eyebrow, avoiding looking at her. "I know. I could see that you weren't interested before... But I thought, if I was good enough... If I tried more..." Penny drifted off. Ace grabbed her hands, gently squeezing them.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Penny! You're amazing! I just-"

"You don't like me that way." Penny interrupted, nodding. "I understand." She paused. Ace didn't talk. He didn't really know what to say. "So, I give up. I tried. But, you better be happy with Ran-san!" Penny stared him down. Ace squirmed under the force of her gaze. When had she gotten so scary?

"We aren't together or anything..."

"You don't need to label a relationship to have it." With that Penny stood and walked away, leaving Ace to his thoughts.

The pirate sat there for a while. He heard yelling and laughter on the deck and a scowl made its way onto his face. He hated parties these days. He hated everything these days. Leo was running around, actually, he was running away all over the deck. There was a grey bird chasing him. It looked like it was trying to peck his brains out. Ace didn't know when, but he had started laughing, too. The bird gave up at some point and looked around. It saw Ace and headed towards him like a bullet. The raven's face morphed into an 'oh crap' one and he attempted to get out of his cross-legged position and run away. He wasn't fast enough. The bird's claws dug into his shoulder and it settled down there, not pecking him. Ace waited, ready to shield his head at any moment. The bird squawked and offered him its leg. The pirate slowly accepted, opening the small leather bag and taking out the cargo. He was still wary of the bird.

In his hand now lay a small, colorful bag. He opened it slowly, the paper rustling gently. There were chocolates inside. Round with some kind of orange flakes inside. He inspected the bag for any kind of note, or something and found one. It read 'chocolate kisses'. Ace stared at the chocolates and then at the bird. The only thing going through his mind was 'what the fuck?'.

~~~~pb~~~~

"She's stable again." Elder Pinjao announced, exiting the emergency room. Sita had been treated on the spot and then moved to the hospital for a surgery. The doctor, a kind eyed, middle aged man, had extracted the insects from her wound and stitched it back up. Ran had had to extract the core from the Sparrow and lend it to the medical team while they worked. Apparently, the thing had stabilized the vitals of the assassin. The pilot herself had been shocked, but she did remember reading about things like that and hearing stories. It was quite surprising that she had managed to piece it all together and act as fast as she did.

The nurses had made her go and get herself checked out and she had gone as soon as the twins arrived. The duo waited in front of Sita's emergency room like statues for a while. The nurse that checked out Ran decided that all the blood on the pilot had come from Sita, but she also inspected the girls head. Ran explained how she had thought that her forehead had gotten hot at some point. Upon further inspection, the nurse told her that it must've been the stress. She had a bit of a fever, but the pilot was free to go.

"She's going to be alright, yes?" The teen questioned, tossing a glance at the twins. The duo looked somewhere between ready to kill or to cry. She wasn't sure which outcome would be worse.

"She's lost a lot of blood. She's lucky that you were there, lass." The Elder confirmed.

"Those motherfuckers poisoned her." One of the twins said. He was looking at his still wrapped arm.

"Poison? I saw some kind of insects coming out of the wound. It couldn't have been poison." Ran countered, frowning slightly. Just what had these three been through?

"Yes. That is a fricking poison. May it rot in the deepest circle of hell." The other twin spoke. He was glaring at the door behind which Sita was. "They use it to kill those that run away from interrogation." Ran raised an eyebrow.

"They?"

The twins gave her identical stares of disbelief. "The Organization, stupid." Their voices were in perfect sync. Ran still looked lost, so the one without the broken arm explained. "The commoners call them the fucking Zodiac. Because of their ranks." Ran slapped her forehead. Now she understood. The Zodiac were after Sita and the twins for some reason. She had been framed as a Zodiac. It all made sense. The Government was covering for the assassins.

"Might as well tell the stupid idiot everything now, brother." The other twin spoke. They nodded to each other, identically, simultaneously. Ran found it amusing, and kind of creepy, when they did their twin mojo. "We'll wait for Mistress to awaken." Elder Pinjao laughed.

"You both know she hates it when you call her that."

~~~~pb~~~~

Izo lit his kiseru, which was a rare sight, and relaxed on the deck. He sat on the railing, watching the crew. He did that often. He preferred watching. A person's body language was far more honest than their words. And Izo was a master at reading body language. He had been bothered by this new development with his friend, Ran. Yes, he considered the strange pilot his friend. She was one of the rare people who spoke the way they acted.

He had written a letter to the girl, after thinking for a while. He offered his help. If she needed anything. He wasn't surprised by the way Ran had acted towards Ace on the Den Den Line. He had probably smothered her. With good intentions, but still, he had smothered her. There was one thing that the girl was terrified of. A cage. She perceived home, family and a bond as a chain on her ankle with a heavy ball pulling her down. Whenever there was trouble, she would fly, not looking back. When she was uncomfortable, she would take to the skies and forget, pushing her problems away. She was wild. Untamed.

And Izo understood that well. You had to thread carefully when approaching her. Ace lacked tact. He said the first things that were on his mind, not predicting the outcome. Troublesome child. He was likeable, though. Izo had seen Ran's reaction right away. She had unconsciously 'fluffed her feathers' at the young pirate. She had noticed him right away. Maybe because he had been shirtless. But, she had been consistent, like she usually was, in her subtle advances. Izo knew all the gossip, after all. You can't kiss on the ship and expect him not to know.

He heard a yelp and saw Ace struggling with the Coco Bird. The thing was persistent, Izo would give it that. The creature had been on their ship for a while, spreading terror with its beak and claws. Leo was its favorite prey for some reason. It probably smelled his fear. But, Izo was intrigued by the bird with a temper that matched its carrier. Yes, the little bugger hadn't left Ace's side for a while. It tended to nip him and squawk from time to time, too. Obviously, the chocolates were for him. Yes, chocolates. Izo prided himself in his knowledge of romance traditions. He knew all about the chocolate exchange. What he didn't understand was, who would be bold enough to send them to the young pirate?

No way…

Realization on his face, Izo almost fell over the railing in his hurry to get up. "Ace!"

~~~~pb~~~~

It took Sita a couple of hours to wake up. They had transferred her into a normal room in the meantime and told the Elder that she should stay in the hospital for a while. He had laughed. Knowing Sita, she would be out of there in less than a day.

When the groggy woman opened her eyes, just to greet Ran with a 'hey sexy' and cause her to go tomato red, the nurses checked her over. They said that it was amazing how quickly the blonde had woken up. In the end, after all the tests, they allowed Sita her couple of visitors, insisting that they be quick. The woman needed her rest. Sita yelled profanities after she heard that one.

"Ah, well. Fuck. It's all out now." The woman on the bed sighed after she grasped the situation. Her eyes stayed downcast for a moment. The twins were at her bedside, not hiding their worry too well. "Why don't you leave us alone for a bit?" Elder Pinjao nodded and dragged the protesting kids out. Sita struggled to sit up and Ran rushed to help her.

"I didn't mean for this mess to be such a mess." The blonde started. Ran went to sit in a chair but the woman caught her hand. It sent a tingle down her spine. The blonde pulled her back and made her sit on the bed, their bodies touching. "I never meant for this to happen." Sita murmured, stroking Ran's ungloved hand. The pilot was surprised at how cold the woman's touch was. It was so different from the touch that she dreamed about. From Ace's scorching, addicting kisses. The mere thought of them sent a pang below her belt. Then, a sense of guilt into her stomach. It was uncomfortable. Very. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."

Sita brought her back to reality. Ran didn't look at the older woman. "Yeah." Sita's hand let go of hers. "You heard?"

"It's a bad habit." The blonde confirmed. Ran wanted the earth to just open and swallow her then. A woman that she barely knew, and was attracted to, had heard a fight that she had with a guy, that she knew a bit better, and was also attracted to. Her life had gotten so messed up so fast. "Don't worry about it." Sita continued. Ran looked at her. She seemed unbothered by the world. Her features were relaxed somehow, and for once Ran saw something weird on the woman's face. It was that expression that she had seen on the noble's faces on Arcadia. The one where they looked all high and mighty. It was just a split second. A parallel. Then she noticed how tired Sita actually seemed.

"You need rest." The pilot went to stand up, but he woman grabbed her hand once more.

"Just listen." Her tone was soft, voice as raspy as ever. "Please." Ran nodded and waited for her to continue. "I'm not their mother, you know." Sita began. The pilot was left to connect the dots. "I don't really know who is. They don't want to know either. I am responsible for them, though." She took a deep, shaky breath. "I first saw them when they were younger, maybe five, and sold into slavery. Somehow, during my flirtation with the Organization, I ended up with two little ones to mentor. I wasn't prepared. I didn't know what that meant. Hell, I was just a spoiled brat back then." Sita paused. Ran wasn't sure what to do. Thankfully, the woman continued.

"I wasn't on a high position. I was still on probation, since I didn't grow up in the Organization, but came to it. I had passed every test with flying colors. Killing was nothing to me. Until those two. My own mentor noticed the change first, and pretty soon, they took away the twins. It took me a while to track them through the net of the Organization. At that point, my mind had been made up. I ran."

This time it was Ran who made contact. She gently laid her hand over the woman's in comfort. Sita gave her a shaky smile. It was the first time that Ran had seen the woman smile. She seemed so much younger.

"Elder Pinjao was one of my contacts outside the Organization. This village is one of the dead zones. Off limits." Sita saw the pilot's confusion. "We tried to get away. But the Organization has eyes everywhere. It hadn't been safe to come here right away."

Everything clicked. Sita and the twins were Zodiac. They had quit the assassin group and ran for their lives. Elder Pinjao had asked her for a 'not so urgent' job, a.k.a. helping Sita and the boys. She had been branded as a Zodiac to the public, but had a fairly low bounty, because they knew that she wasn't an assassin. They wanted to deal with Sita and the kids on their own. But, they wanted her dead because she helped. Ran sighed. How do you even get mad at this woman? She had done everything to the best of her capabilities.

"Guess we have a real heart wrenching, sob story package, huh?" Sita concluded with a hollow laugh. "I really did what I thought was right. It just… Fuck." Ran felt a smile spread on her face at the cuss word.

"Aaah! What am I supposed to say after all that? It's not like I was mad in the first place!" The teen countered. Sita gave her a shocked look. That was not expected. Ran shrugged. "I was bound to get a bounty, Sita. I take any job I can get, after all, no discrimination." Sita raised an eyebrow.

"Then, I pity that guy you gave an earful to." Ran laughed.

"Me too." She drifted off a bit. "I'll fix it. I want to fix it." The pilot concluded. The blonde pulled at her hand slightly, motioning for her to come closer. Ran obeyed. Sita bent a bit forward and gently pressed her lips against Ran's cheek. They were soft. Heat spread through the pirate's body at the touch, but she pulled away.

"That was a 'thank you'." Sita said, her eyes glinted mischievously. "I owe you two favors, for the two times you saved my life." She pulled Ran back forwards. "And this, this is for good luck with that boy." With that Sita's cool lips connected to Ran's.

The pilot was shocked at first, but she accepted the contact. The cold, pale hand holding hers pulled her even further forward, so she was almost on top of the woman. Sita's tongue was gentle, but experienced on her lips and Ran gave in, accepting. Accepting it all. The IV jingled when the blonde moved her other hand to the small of Ran's back to push her forward.

The pilot had to catch herself on her arm, pressing it against the headboard. Sita was still injured. She followed the blonde's tongue around her own mouth, sighing when it brushed just the right spot on the roof of her mouth. Sita pulled a bit back, sucking gently on Ran's wet muscle, inviting her to come along. The pilot's tongue transferred to Sita's cavern next, keeping them connected, regardless of their need for air.

The teen couldn't really believe that this was happening. This woman was like sex on legs, even wounded, and here she was, kissing the life out of her. Fuck. All too soon, Sita pulled back, giving Ran's lips a couple of small pecks, as if she didn't want to let go.

"Now go." Sita dismissed her. "Get that pirate of yours hooked."

"But-"

"The doctor said that I need my rest." Her smile was sly. Was there anything that this woman didn't know? Ran shook her head and got up, with a grin of her own. She needed to finish that machine before she left. The pilot gave a small wave to the resting assassin and walked out. She didn't notice the woman's smile turn sad.

**That's all folks!**

**Woah… I need a cold shower… Woah… Anyways, not as steamy as the last one with Sita and Ran, but I think it's good :) This is actually my first time doing a story with romance, so do bear with me xD**

**I really have no problem with girl on girl, it's a leftover from my own experimentation with both genders, I hope that no one was offended xD I may toss in some yaoi or three way later on, but I will warn you guys! I promise xD**

**I gave myself a challenge for this chapter! Did you notice it? I tried to not write from Ran's and Ace's perspective as much as possible :P **

**Onto the reviews!**

**Otaku-chan: Thanks for the review, love! I'm happy to have you back :3 **

**I was going out on a limb out there. My interpretation of Ace is… well… yeah xD Looks like it worked out, though :) **

**Hope you liked the thing with Sita :D Heheheheee~ I just couldn't resist! Don't stay up too late now, dear :)**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Wren: I know, I write an easy going fic and then bam! There comes the bomb! It was needed… Ace needed to make up his mind, Ran needed a bit of a push, Penny needed to move on yadda yadda **

**I figured that this was a good way to do it :) Soon I shall make even more trouble! Mwahahahaaa, poor OCs :P**

**I don't know if Ace and Ran are the worst people to be in a relationship… I think that her 'freedom' obsession and his 'intimacy' issues are quite complementary… That's actually why I paired them up… I'll see how it goes :3 **

**Zodiacs are named after their commanding officers, who are titled by each horoscope sign. They will come later. At least some of them will. Hehehehe~**

**Sita and Ran… Oh man… I was kind of expecting that when I put Sita in this story… She is… a real sex bomb, honestly… She is selfish and takes what she wants… Let's face it, Ran is into the whole danger thing, even though she doesn't want to admit it :P Wait until she sees that Ace has that side, too… Honestly, he doesn't show the whole 'dangerous' thing, even though he has it :3 I agree, Sita and Ran is hot :) Hope you enjoyed this little one, too ;)**

**Hope you enjoyed :D**

**anniewanny2: I figured, more updates, more reader happiness :D Glad to see you back! **

**Soon! I didn't intend for this to drag on for so loooong, but it kind of did xD It seemed so short in my head… and it was actually about 6 fricking chapters! Ah well, they did need the time apart :) It's going to be hilarious when they meet up… And hot :D**

**Ran is… real… I try to keep her as real as possible… And as close to the readers as possible… I know that it may seem like everyone in the story likes her, but I think that's because she is quite submissive in that department. She molds herself to the crowd, and then flies away when she's done… Like a sparrow :D**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	18. Golden Time Lover

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**I would like to thank Patriot7Scout for the alert, and ChocoGummies for the alert and fav :D Welcome, and enjoy!**

**This story has been added into the 'Can't Get Enough Of' Community! Ayayayayayaaaa! Happy~ Happy dance~**

**This was an interesting chapter to write… **

**Chapter 18: Golden Time Lover – Sukima Switch**

Ace sat on the roof of the Captain's quarters and stared at the white Den Den Mushi like it held the ultimate answer to all of his problems. Ace didn't have many problems. In fact, his only issue at the moment was dialing a number. Well, he had the whole 'dad' issue, but that was a taboo topic. One of those bad memories that really define you but you like to sweep them under the rug and feel joy whenever you step on them. Ace felt immense joy whenever he avoided the subject successfully. Which was most of the time, considering how tight lipped he was about it.

"Ace!" Leo called out, not even bothering to climb onto the roof. The raven turned a bit, finding the blonde mop of hair easily enough. Leo's eyes peered over the edge of the roof as he suspended himself on his arms, legs dangling.

"Yeah?"

"Hurry up! I just got permission from Pops to take you with me on a field trip!" With that, the blonde was gone.

Ace had noticed a change in his friend's behavior. He had apologized for some reason a few days back and then proceeded to give Ace a part of his food each meal, not that the raven minded. Izo had solved his annoyance issues, he believed that it was annoyance, and now, his appetite was back in full swing.

Yes, Izo had done what was suspected to be impossible. He had calmed the teenage rage of Fire Fist Ace. The man himself was still in shock that the tactic had worked. On the subject of women, Ace, not surprisingly, wasn't the smartest cookie. He had bought the whole 'period overreaction' routine. Izo knew that he was enabling the raven. However, a friendship, or relationship, with Ran was bound to hit that giant rock. The intimacy issues that the girl had were humongous. She blended in fine, fitted perfectly into the mold and then, in a second, she would be gone. Back to the skies.

Izo himself had had to face that fact. Truth be told, he was still struggling with it. He understood. The getting it part wasn't a problem. He, too, had sailed from his home, after all. But, Izo, he had a family. Right here, on this ship. They were a constant. And he loved that. He had given his life to this crew. Ran, not so much. She was still struggling with that decision, like she was afraid of making up her mind.

Purupurupuru!

Ace jumped away from the snail as soon as it rang. He was not expecting this. Not a lot of people had his number. With almost all of the Whitebeard Pirates on board, he wasn't sure who was calling him. Ace stared at the Den Den Mushi as it rang once again. A thought flashed through his mind. Ran had his number. It could be Ran.

Kacha!

"Hello?" Ace called out, his stomach full of butterflies. He wanted it to be Ran.

"Hey, Ace." The familiar voice greeted from the other side of the line. The pilot sounded sad.

"Hey." Ace greeted. He didn't bother masking his emotions. They were all over the place.

"Thank you." Ran surprised him. He raised an eyebrow, not really sure what to say to that. "I'm sorry. For what I said."

"It doesn't matter." Ace brushed it off, like it was nothing, even though it had been. "We all have bad days."

"I didn't mean to take it out on you. It just- you- Ahhh! My thoughts are a mess!" She laughed nervously and Ace joined in.

"Mine, too." He reassured her. The pirate valued her friendship more than some stupid argument.

"So, we're cool?" The pilot asked. Ace smiled at the déjà vu.

"Yeah. We're peachy." He replied, causing her to laugh. "Doesn't this seem familiar?" The raven joked.

"Yeah, I miss the rum, though… And the S&M discussions! Those were great…" Ran sighed, thinking back and Ace felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Since when had he began reacting to her like this? He was in deep shit.

"You know what else was great?" Ace asked, trying out his luck. Ran hummed in question. "Those chocolates." He could almost feel the heat of her blush. "They were delicious." He felt his face go red, but he enjoyed the silence. It was his turn to shut her up. For once. "Izo told me all about that island and their traditions, too."

"Shut it." Ran whined childishly. One point for Ace. Finally. She was embarrassed. Ace decided to push his luck.

"I was jealous you know. Thought that you had forgotten all about me." He heard Ran take a sharp breath at his lowered voice. He hadn't even known that he could produce that kind of a sound. "Izo got his letter. And those things for his gun. And I-"

"Oh! Does it work?" Ran's voice was high and excited, breaking the moment. Ace almost groaned. He was enjoying her reactions. They were giving his pride just the right boost. Not to mention they were making a very special part of him feel very good.

"I think so, haven't seen it in action. But, Izo had been petting his guns a lot, so…" The pirate trailed off. Why did this conversation quickly go into Ran-pace? Actually, why did their time together always go Ran-pace? "M my ass." Ace murmured.

"I didn't catch that? Could you speak up?" Ran complained. He heard some voices coming from her side, speaking in some kind of a weird language. They sounded like kids.

"Nothing."

"But, that reminds me! I brought you something from Arcadia, too, don't worry. It's a work in progress, though, sorry." Ran chuckled nervously.

"I can wait." Ace smirked. "You gotta make it worth my while." His voice had gone a few octaves down once again. He heard Ran's sharp intake of breath. And that was the last thing he heard before drifting off.

"Ace? You there?" Ran's voice kept coming from the Den Den Mushi. "Gah! He fell asleep!" She concluded.

"Ran?" Leo heard the voice from the snail. He saw the sleeping pirate and connected dots. "He fell asleep, sorry." The blonde laughed, jumping onto the roof.

"I figured. Nice to hear from you, Leo, sweetie! How have you been?" The pilot didn't skip a beat. Leo picked up the snail.

"I've been good. What about you?" The pirate huffed a bit, placing the snail onto his shoulder. The animal attached itself there, staying still when Leo grabbed Ace under his arms. The raven was kind of heavy.

"Here and there. Grounded at the moment. I'll be up and about soon. Might come to drop something off." Ran answered.

"Be careful, Ran. You have a bounty now. Congratulations, by the way. I need to run, sorry, I'm going on a field trip with this narcoleptic. I'll see you soon, then?"

"Yeah! Say hi to Izo and Marco and all of them for me!"

Kacha!

The line went dead. Leo smiled and pulled Ace further to the roof.

"Hey, Teach, help me out!"

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran twisted one of the gears and watched as it clicked into place. She loved the golden circles a little too much. She enjoyed the sounds that they made when they found their perfect position in the mechanism. Those sounds were like little chimes of a bell. They were nostalgic, reminding her of her childhood. Whenever she stared at the AGT she would go into a different world, back in time, when she was just a child, playing with a puzzle, just trying to find a piece that fit. She liked pieces that fit.

Ran pushed herself with her legs, coming from under the Sparrow. She was almost done. A little routine tune-up and removal of some gears to accommodate her new project. She had been working on it for a while now. It was coming along great. She would have to write to Shrimp and tell him if the mechanism worked. They had done their best to make the design as durable as possible, but it would need a tune or two in a couple of months.

The pilot could feel green eyes following her as she worked. One of the twins, the one without the broken arm, had taken to her. He spent a lot of his time just watching her work. Sometimes, he asked questions, but mostly, he just observed.

She could tell them apart now. The one that hung out with her was a little bit on the quiet side, not like the other one was talkative, and he was generally less reckless. The other kid, he was rash, acted without thinking and more than often, swore excessively. What surprised Ran, was that they never used names with each other. Sita, she knew her by the name the Elder had given her, but the twins… The twins, she still hadn't learned their names. Sita called them idiot number one and idiot number two, but she did so in affection. Or so Ran hoped.

"Does this go here?" The redhead was suddenly right next to the pilot. Ran jumped a bit, but then she looked at what the twin was showing her. He was right. The boy was holding the small gear gingerly in between his fingers, inspecting it, as if it were a precious treasure. Ran knew that look well. She had that same look in her own eyes very often. This little kid, he was a terrifying assassin one second and a curious kid the next. He had been robbed of his childhood.

"Yes. That's very good." Ran praised the redhead.

"Don't patronize me, fucker." The green eyes glared at her. Ran didn't react to the cuss words. She gave a small smile.

"Would you like me to teach you?" The twin looked confused. "The Arcadian Gear Technology." His eyes cleared. He stood there, thinking, flipping the gear through his fingers.

"Yes." He decided. Ran's smile widened. She had never had a pupil. This would be interesting. "But, you're going to leave, aren't you?" He looked up at her, no cuss words in his sentence. He seemed so sad. Like he was being abandoned again. The pilot placed her hand on the kid's shoulder gently. No matter how child-like he seemed at the moment, he was still an assassin. One wrong move, and she could be dead on the floor. The trio still terrified her. No matter how much time she spent with them.

"I am going to leave. I am going to fly." The twin turned away from her, brushing her hand off his shoulder. She grabbed his wrist, gently turning him around. "You could come with me?" The twin shook his head.

"I can't leave brother." He was adamant.

"Then, I will come back." Ran clarified, as if it was the easiest decision in the world. She couldn't believe that she had just said that. She hadn't even thought about it. It was an easy decision. It was from her heart.

"I-" The twin began, but Ran hugged him to her, squealing on the inside. "Motherfucker." He mumbled into her stomach awkwardly.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace woke to find himself in a boat. It wasn't the big one, that Vista and Rakuyo had used, nor was it the small one, that doc preferred. It was a medium sized vessel, comfortable for at least five people on a short trip.

The raven located Leo and Teach, another guy from the Second Division, quickly. He knew those two well. He also saw some more people from his division. Turning around, he saw Moby Dick in the distance. He hadn't been asleep for long, as usual. But, he had missed a meal. Ace's stomach growled and he patted it in comfort.

"Zehahahaha! Here you go! Old man Kondor sent you a going away present." Teach dropped a mountain of bentos next to Ace. The raven perked up immediately. He opened the top one and dug in, no hesitation.

"Fanks!" The words were barely understandable, but the other pirate caught it. You live on a pirate ship for a while, you learn to comprehend words spoken through a full mouth. Leo walked over and plopped himself down. Ace made a small pause in his eating. "Where are we going?" He asked after swallowing.

"An island nearby." The blonde clarified. "Commander Marco was looking for someone to check it out. Some pirates have been going wild in our territory. We are to… errr-"

"Be peaceful and sing to the sun." Ace supplied.

"Zehahahaha!" Teach laughed. He snatched a pie from Ace's pile of food, skillfully avoiding the pirate's attempt to get the food back. "I don't sing." The large man supplied.

"Ridiculous!" Ace countered. "All pirates sing!" Leo sighed. He was going to be ignored by these two again. The blonde shook his head, but didn't leave. The banter was always fun. He sipped his tea calmly.

"Well I don't." Teach was adamant. Ace raised a scrutinizing eyebrow.

"Can you salute the sun?" Leo snorted into his tea. That image was not a pleasant one.

"Zehahahaha! Never tried!" Teach shrugged. Leo didn't even want to know where Ace's ideas came from. He prayed to all he deities out there that he would leave the subject before Teach actually went along with his imagination. Ace kept eating. Leo figured that the raven wasn't seeing the same image that he was. That's why he could eat. Lucky bugger.

"Who's in charge? Did a Commander come along?" Ace wondered. Teach shook his head. Ace raised an eyebrow. They let a group of unorganized pirates go solve problems? Sweet.

"No need. We can take care of ourselves. Sure, a Commander would be nice, but our division is alright even without one." Teach supplied. "The guys who could take the position aren't really interested. All that paperwork… Not attractive." Ace laughed, agreeing.

"Marco almost tricked me into taking the position." Leo shuddered. "But, I realized on time that the 'small' amount of paperwork that I do as a regular will get multiplied. Fast. I managed to shimmy out of it." The blonde chuckled.

"Yeah." Teach agreed. "Thank the Gods that I've never been interested in the position." Ace looked at him like he was insane.

"Isn't it normal to aim to become a Commander?" The raven questioned. Teach shrugged. Leo chuckled.

"I suppose so." The blonde answered. "Not everyone is like that. You want to become a Commander?" Leo asked. Interesting, the blonde mused.

"Not really. I want to be strong." Ace clarified. Teach laughed, getting some more pie.

"Practice makes perfect." With that, Leo stood up. Better check on the course. All pirates on board may be competent, but there was always one person who tended to stand out and make sure that everything went well. When Leo went on a Commander-less mission, he tended to make sure that everything went well. That was one of the reasons why Marco had asked him to become a Commander, after all.

Leo never was interested in that, though. He didn't want control. He didn't want fame. He just wanted to be a part of the family. He wanted to finally belong. Leo looked around the small boat, full of laughing pirates from his division. And here, he did, no prejudice, no discrimination.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran entered the house that they had been using. She took off her jacket, leaving her in the clothes that she had gotten on the Theobroma Cacao. They were rather light for this island, but Ran was mostly indoors these days. The storm season was terrible, after all. During the night, the buildings would shake from the wind and the snow. In the mornings, when the storm stopped, doors and windows would be snowed in. Sure, the shoveling was a problem, but the snow was beautiful. Each morning the old tracks would be covered with a new layer of icy, shiny flakes. They looked like small crystals, reflecting light in various colors. Almost like magic.

The air in the room was much hotter than the one outside. It was almost hard to breathe from the smell of heat, but it was pleasant. The wood that the house was made out of had a nice, nostalgic scent, too. Almost like almonds. Ran's skin prickled from the sudden change in temperature.

The house that they were staying in was humble, but comfortable. It had two rooms, the main one and the bathroom. The sleeping quarter had four futons and a low table with a couple of pillows around it. The twins had pushed their beds together right away. They always slept while holding each other. There was a built-in fireplace which warmed the whole space, too.

The bathroom door opened as Ran was sitting onto her futon, letting a steam cloud into the room. The pilot didn't recognize the woman exiting at first, and when she did, she did a double take. Eyes wide and mouth gaping, the girl looked the assassin up and down.

Sita was wearing a bath towel, the scars on her legs and arms visible. The pilot saw a couple of burn marks, too. What was really shocking, was the woman's hair. The wavy pale, platinum hair was pitch black, curly and giving off a purplish glow. Sita smiled, her white teeth flashing.

"You like?" The woman asked. Ran gulped and then nodded.

"I-it looks good." Sita laughed, and it wasn't an empty, shallow laugh that usually came out of her mouth.

"I bet." The woman answered sultrily, not skipping a beat. She dropped her towel shamelessly and took out some clothes. She only wore black. Black lace. Ran looked away.

The pilot rummaged through her pouches, looking for her notepad. She started going over all her clients and their locations. Now that she had a bounty, she would have to be more careful. Much more careful. She would drop all the suspicious jobs, which would unfortunately make her wallet a bit thin for a while. However, she would also need to be careful about the islands she landed on. It was going to be a right pain, but she would get through this. She figured that, even though she wasn't thrilled about the bounty, it wasn't anyone's fault. Sita had done her best, and so had Ran. Better she have a bounty then the Zodiacs have Sita's head on a spike. She was a bit excited about the price on her head. She didn't do a lot of things against the law. It was a guilty, but thrilling, emotion.

Ran started highlighting her frequent clients. The ones she trusted. "Whacha doin'?" Sita dropped beside her. She seemed playful. Luckily, the woman was partially dressed. She had her underwear and tight, shiny black pants on, and was lacing up her tall boots. Sita's hair was still wet, fanning over her shoulders. She was looking at Ran's notepad curiously, her fingers moving on autopilot.

"Marking down safe places." Ran frowned at the paper. She didn't like being in this position. However, she couldn't stop the small, burning pit of excitement in her stomach. Like when she is flying on a cloudy day and a lightning cracks across the skies. She was waiting for the storm that would most definitely come. And she hated herself for enjoying the adrenaline. She had thought that the rush from flying would be enough. Somehow, it wasn't anymore. She was terrified of what would be her next step.

"Oh, I can help!" Sita took the notepad and pen away and started writing something. Ran heard a buzzing near her ear and shooed a mosquito away. The assassin passed the pilot her notepad back. "Here you go. Feel free to use my name in these places if you get into any trouble." Sita smiled at her. Ran nodded.

"Thanks." Sita waved her hand, dismissing the words.

"It's nothing." The assassin seemed to be in a good mood. The door opened and the twins entered the house. They had identical annoyed expressions at the amount of clothing they had to wear outside. Hey looked like two caterpillars. Ran smiled at the thought. Sita got up slowly. The twins started stripping the unnecessary clothing. One of them rushed to Sita, inspecting her bandage. The woman was much better, but she still had to take pills and take care of the wound. "It's time." Sita said. The trio sat at the table together. Ran looked up from her notepad, curious. "Have you chosen?"

"Daithi." The one who was keen on AGT spoke first. Sita nodded, her eyes were calm and serious. She seemed proud. It was the first time that Ran had seen that expression on her face. It wasn't like a proud mother. More like a proud owner. Ran felt disgust pool in the pit of her stomach.

"Swiftness, nimbleness. It suits you. That's a good name." She turned to the other twin.

"Faolan."

"From faol, the wolf. It is a good, strong name." Sita concluded. The twins waited in silence. Sita didn't speak for a while. "Deirdre." She finally said. "Old name, meaning young girl or woman."

The twins looked at each other, as if talking without words. Twin mojo, Ran thought. "That also means sorrow." The one without the broken arm spoke. Sita laughed that empty, coarse laugh of hers.

"I've taught you well." The woman smiled o herself, like she was remembering something sad, but dear to her. "Tell me."

The twins spoke at the same time, each repeating his sentence three times. "The old me is dead, forgotten. I am Daithi/Faolan and that is the only name I have ever borne." Sita nodded. Ran stared in shock. What the hell?

"And I am Deirdre, and that is the only name that I will bear, until I cannot keep you safe without my past identity." She repeated it. Ran opened her mouth to ask, but she stopped herself. They were changing their names. They were going underground. Assassins, Ran thought. They were both amazing and terrifying.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco walked up to his drinking Captain, papers in his hands. Whitebeard was relaxing in his favorite seat on the Moby Dick, drinking sake and shooing away nurses from time to time. It was a good day, sunny and warm. Doc was sitting near him, watching his sake consumption with distaste. She was counting his cups and sips shamelessly while sipping her own drink, iced tea.

"Pops." The first mate greeted and settled himself next to his Captain. Whitebeard glanced at him, asking silently to continue. The phoenix did. "Take a look at these, yoi." He passed the old pirate the papers from his arms. There was silence among the three as the Captain went over the reports. Doc tossed Marco a questioning look, but he didn't catch it. The waves hit the side of Moby Dick gently. The crew yelled out to each other, working on keeping them on course. There were a couple of pirates who were finished with their duties drinking and laughing in the background.

"What is this, son?" Whitebeard rumbled after a while. His eyes found Marco's, dead serious. "How long has this been going on?" Doc got up from the railing and walked over. She bent over the old pirate's shoulder and scanned the information. A frown made its way onto her face.

"I noticed the small increase in the reports." Marco started. "At first, I thought that it was only because of all the rookies coming from Grand Line, yoi. After comparing papers and information about pirates entering the New World, I saw that my previous assumption was incorrect. We have a mole on board, yoi."

Whitebeard glared at the first mate. "Are you certain?" He growled. Doc reached for the papers in her Pops' hands and he let her take them.

"I wouldn't make these accusations lightly, yoi." Marco countered. The air was tense as the two men stared each other down and doc looked through the information. She looked up and noticed the situation.

"Hey, hey! Stop that!" Whitebeard looked to his daughter and spread his right hand wide out. Doc accepted the half hug and curled herself into the old pirate. "It's bad for your heart, Father." She petted his arm gently.

"Gurararara! My heart is just fine! The booze is the only medicine I need!" The old pirate laughed. Doc smiled fondly and shook her head. Marco watched the scene with a small smirk. This was pure blackmail material. Everyone knew that doc was always marshmallow soft with her Father. Completely and totally soft. Priceless.

"What are your thoughts, son?" Whitebeard asked the phoenix. Marco sighed, crossing his arms on instinct. Doc pulled away from the old pirate and moved towards the Commander. She handed him the reports.

"I don't want to point fingers, yoi." Marco began. "Because I don't know who it is…" Doc sighed. She rubbed her forehead absentmindedly. This was going to be a right mess.

"I'll leave it to you, son." Whitebeard nodded. He grinned. "I trust your judgment."

"I'll do my best, yoi."

"I'll help you out if you need?" Doc supplied, shrugging. Marco nodded.

"I might take you up on that."

"Gurararara!" Whitebeard boomed. "You two kids getting along! It's been a while since I've seen that!" The phoenix didn't even bother responding to that. Doc smiled at the Captain. Her smile promised pain and anguish. Whitebeard laughed once more, not affected by the threat. He remembered Jade from back then, a lost, awkward kid. Whenever she glared at him for teasing her, that little kid was all he saw.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran was ready for take-off. The snow had stopped, even though there were storm clouds all around the island. She had donned her suit and tied her hair up in a bun. The Sparrow was tuned and ready, the core back inside and the machine that she had built strapped underneath the belly of her bird. True, she could take it apart, but it wouldn't fit in the storage anyway, so she took the easy way out.

Her new apprentice, Daithi, followed her out of the barn and helped her with the Sparrow. Sita, errrr Deirdre, had agreed to the tutelage, as long as it didn't hinder hers and the twins' movement or missions. Ran had prepared some books that she had brought from Arcadia and given them to the boy. She had also given him a couple of gearing problems to practice.

"Have a safe journey, Master." Daithi told her as she took out her golden, heavy helmet. Ran frowned at him while tying her pouches tighter around her waist.

"What happened to bastard, dumbass, idiot and motherfucker?" The girl questioned. The redhead looked to his feet, embarrassed. He looked way too adorable there, mumbling into his chin. Ran gave in. She squealed and squashed the poor kid to her chest, rubbing her head on the top of his.

"Let go, asshole!" The boy managed to push her away and brushed himself off, face red. Ran knew that if he had wanted to, he could've thrown her away. So, the little assassin did have a heart.

"Only brother gets a fucking hug from you, dumbass?" The other kid, recently named Faolan, came from the direction of the house, Sita and Elder Pinjao closely following. Ran grabbed Faolan, too, pulling him in. At some point, Daithi joined the hug. Ran hadn't realized until that moment, but no matter how much the twins scared her, she had gotten attached to the small and awkward assassins.

"Aweee~ Group hug! I think I'm going to be diabetic!" Sita's arms circled the group, squeezing them, despite her sarcastic words. They separated, Ran ruffling the twins' hair. Sita winked at the pilot, causing her to blush. Elder Pinjao nodded to the teen.

"You come back soon, lassie."

"Will do, Elder." Ran smiled. "Next time, I won't come during the storm season. So I can play with the little ones. Hang on a second." She rummaged through the Sparrow's storage. "This is for them." She passed the old man sweets from Arcadia. He nodded, laughing at her. She was weak on kids, no matter how much she pretended that she wasn't.

"Ran." Sita called out, motioning with her hand. The pilot walked over and the woman led them a little ways out. Ran threw a look over her shoulder and saw the twins going near the Sparrow, Daithi showing Faolan around it. Sita's strong hands gripped her shoulders, making her focus on the woman before her. It was strange, seeing the assassin with black, curly hair. The eyes were the same, though. They were heavy with emotions and experience, trapping you in place.

"Ran, you need to listen to me." Sita's fingers dug into her shoulders. The woman was strong. Frighteningly so. Ran was positive that this woman had killed with her fingers. These, right there, near her neck. Her heart had picked up its pace on its own. She was terrified, even though she knew that at the moment, Sita was an ally.

"Hey, you alright?" Ran gave a shaky nod. The assassin gave a small nod back. "Good." She took in a breath and released it. "Look. You need to lay low for a while. I doubt that the Organization will come after you. They will look for us. Identity change buys you only so much time." Ran nodded again, not really trusting her voice. "If they do come after you, I want you to run. Don't even attempt to fight and especially not to reason with them. Just run. Can you do that?" Sita's eyes were so serious. Ran caught a sliver of something very surprising. Fear. These people have obviously scared the living hell out of the woman.

"I understand." Ran nodded. Sita gave one more squeeze to the pilot's shoulders and then let go. The two walked back to the Sparrow.

Soon, Ran was ready, helmet on, and she pressed the hidden paddle, propelling herself into the skies with a whoop of joy and the Sparrow's song in her ears.

~~~~pb~~~~

It was almost midnight when someone knocked on Marco's door. He, of course, wasn't sleeping. He was going to, soon, he kept telling himself, but not yet. At another set of fast knocks, the blonde got up from his desk, leaving the reports there. He brushed one hand through his hair and over his face, trying to focus on the real world. He would need sleep soon. Looking worse for wear, only in his underwear, it was hot on the ship, the Commander yelled out.

"Coming." And the knocking stopped. Marco pulled the door open, and was surprised to meet doc's eyes. She had been working late, too, but she looked just as he remembered her from this afternoon. Marco's sleepy mind wondered if she wore only underwear to her bed, like he did. Maybe she wore something else. Or nothing at all.

"Can I come in?" The woman asked, breaking the phoenix from his musings. He moved a bit, his underwear suddenly tight and uncomfortable, and let the doc in. She walked into the room, seeming strangely out of place. She had come into his room often back when she had first joined. She had been scared of her own shadow. She would seek comfort in his cold blue flames and surprisingly hot bed. Not like Marco ever took advantage. He couldn't admit that he didn't have those thoughts. He had noticed her, even before Pops had taken her in. To him, she had been absolutely breathtaking, inside out.

"I needed to talk to you. I'm sorry I came so late." Doc began and Marco nodded. He showed her to his bed. He plopped back into the only chair in the room. The one at his desk. The dark woman sat down, back straight, but eyes downcast.

"I don't mind, yoi." The first mate told her. She seemed strangely fidgety. "What's on your mind, yoi?"

Doc rubbed her hands together, as if she were cold. "I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't know if I should say anything or not." She looked at Marco next. "I saw something peculiar yesterday. I didn't think anything of it at first." She paused. "But, when you showed those reports to Father today… I remembered it." Marco pulled his chair forward, getting closer to the woman.

"Tell me, yoi." He said gently, his hand landing on her knee, making small, comforting circles. He rarely saw the doc rattled. The woman nodded.

"I mean, looking through navigation plans isn't too unusual. I do it all the time when I want to see where we're going." She started rambling. Marco caught doc's hands, bringing her back to reality.

"Tell me who it was, Jade." She nodded.

"Penelope."

**That's all folks! **

**We got to see Ace's attempt at phone seduction, hilarious, no? A bit more about Sita and the twins, they will appear again, I promise :) Gosh, I was a bit scared to write Blackbeard… I don't like him one bit… I hope he wasn't too OOC :( And we get to know a bit more about Ran! Real softie on the kids xD And dun dun dun duuuuuuun~ The plot thickens!**

**The names for Sita and the twins are from a site, they are Celtic names :D I liked them :3**

**Onto the reviews:**

**Otaku-chan: Thank you! I'm happy that you are enjoying my story :D **

**I'm glad that you think my Ace is IC… I am very often nervous about writing with already existing characters, as I do tend to take liberties… **

**Ran and Sita… can't promise more where that came from…. Yet…. But I can promise some AcexRan… soon… Mwahahhahahaha~ Oh, I feel the not enough yuri out there… I feel that… However, in the end, both Sita and Ran are straight, even though they fool around. It's just one of those relationships, where you kiss and are still friends… or allies… or something… xD**

**I know how you feel, I drink loads of coffee and I stay up till dawn all the time, still, it isn't good xD **

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Wren: I'm glad that you had a bit of a rollercoaster! :D I love that you are feeling stuff while reading my story :)**

**Ace…. Aaah Ace… I don't see him as a goo baby in love… But, he will be awkward, attempt to seduce and end up going all Ran-pace in the end xD Let's face it, she totally wears the pants in their relationship hehehehe~ That may be because I read so much AcexMarco kufufufufufuuu~ We'll see how it goes… **

**Bitter love? With Sita? Hmmm… I don't think it's love… more like attraction… I mean, on Sita's end it most definitely is. She is a right spoiled brat. She takes what she wants, when she wants it, and doesn't really worry about consequences. Ran is amusing to her. Like a new toy. Ran… well… She isn't too sure what she's feeling. Sita terrifies her, and yet, because she is so scary, so deadly, she is even more appealing. Ran is an adrenaline addict, through and through. She loves dangerous situations. Sita is like a perfect taste of pain and pleasure for Ran. I hope I'm explaining this alright xD **

**Don't worry, love, I was slow with this chapter… I actually wasn't sure where to go with a couple of parts, but I think I came out just fine :) I hope your wrist gets better fast T_T**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	19. Italiana

**Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! **

**All in all, have fun!**

**Otaku-chan, this one is all for you ;)**

**Chapter 19: Italiana – Severina (I don't usually listen to this kind of stuff, but I like this song :3 )**

_Dear cuz,_

_How are you? How's the bird? Have you crashed yet? Just kidding, cuz. I hope you're well._

_In Arcadia, everything is as mental as always. I got an earful, from both Bohai and auntie, for letting you fly off into the sunset. Uncle is still pissed. In fact, he isn't speaking to me. I thought he would explode when he found out. Don't come back until he cools off. Like a year or so should do it._

_On the other hand, mom and dad have been ecstatic about you leaving! They have actually sent you a package. It will arrive to Grandia in around four days under your full name. I also managed to sneak in some supplies that may come in handy. Mom and dad are also sending their congratulations on your bounty, as am I. Good job becoming an outlaw, cuz! I'm proud of you!_

_As far as I know, the nobles won't be bothered by your criminal status on the Blue Sea. Not like they will notice one or two commoners becoming outlaws out of the border anyways. However, if you do get caught, your Arcadian documents should give you some kind of protection. Just a tip, in case you get caught._

_I've been considering coming down to the Blue Sea for a while. I'll send you a letter if I give in to my deepest desires._

_I love you always,_

_Shrimp_

_P.S.: Did that firemotor work in the end?_

Ran smiled at the letter and folded it. She placed the paper into her notepad and tossed it into the storage. The Sparrow swayed on the waves gently. The contraption that Ran had built during her stay with Elder Pinjao bumped into the wing rhythmically. The pilot got up, checking the horizon. She didn't see anything except waves and a couple of clouds. In the north, there were stronger currents, moving the white fluff faster. Ran could tell. There was a storm brewing there. If she didn't leave soon, it would catch her. Not like she was running away from it.

Ran stood on the glider and slammed the storage closed with the heel of her boot. She breathed in the salty air. It felt good. She tied her hair back up and secured her helmet back on. She would have to buy new goggles soon. It was annoying to fly without them. With a soft press of the hidden paddle, the Sparrow took off into the air, its cargo following.

It had been a few days since Ran had left Elder Pinjao's place. She had ended up landing on an island and staying there for around two or three days. She had landed a few land jobs, carrying things around the island. It had been quick money, and she had managed to stay under the radar. Ran found out that if she bound her hair and changed out of her pilot suit not many people connected her with her wanted poster. It wasn't as bad as she had first thought.

A crack resounded across the skies. Ran shivered in anticipation. She felt excitement pool into her stomach. She really was incorrigible. Doing this with cargo swinging from the Sparrow was going to be a bother, but she could pull it off. A flash of light signaled the coming of next crack of lighting. Ran felt her face stretch into a grin. It was time to fly.

Another push of the paddle got her into the stormy clouds. She cursed in her head at the cold that hit her face. This was going to be a pain without goggles. She really needed new gear. And no baggage. Soon, Ran consoled herself. She had seen the report on Ace going rampant in the New World. He had made a whole pirate crew surrender on his own. This gave her the general vicinity of the Moby Dick. Ran could guess that they were heading towards Wano Kuni. The pilot hoped that she would catch up to them and drop off her cargo.

The rain started soon. She felt the icy drops hit her suit despite the inner heat regulation. Another crack sounded. The lightning that hit next was not too far from her. Ran grinned. It was time.

"Would you fold your wings, love?" She heard the song loud in her ears, but the Sparrow didn't change the position of the gears. "Fly with me, old friend." Ran murmured against the wind and the rain. And then, the wings folded, making the bird nosedive. The pilot screamed with joy. Her heart jumped to her throat. She felt the excitement burst in her stomach. Her head was pounding beautifully. She could feel her fingers grow numb from the adrenaline. Numb and cold. She was shaking. She loved it.

The song in her head intensified and the drumming became louder. Suddenly, in the darkness of the clouds and the blur of the rain, Ran could see the currents. She caught one swiftly, enjoying the boost that it gave her. The cargo followed, the Sparrow trembling because of the shape and the size of it.

Ran crouched further down, allowing her to navigate more easily. She swished left and right, jumping from one current to the other. It was the first time that she had seen the air this way. Usually, she could just feel them. Kind of guess where the next one would be by the way the clouds shifted. This was unusual. The currents looked like pale, almost transparent tunnels, winding and constantly shifting. They were breathtaking. Ran felt her forehead go hot, head pounding.

However, the pilot dismissed her musings, focusing on the task at hand. She could worry about the shiny tunnels later.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco looked around the cafeteria once more. He rarely came here. He brushed his fingers through his hair and drank some more booze. There were quite a few pirates in the room. As usual, Thatch and Ace were the loudest, celebrating the most recent victory. Ace had proven himself on the most recent mission. The raven had ended up on watch while the rest of the division members went to investigate the island. The enemy pirates had tried to attack the vessel, only to realize why he was called Fire Fist. It was one of the many recent victories that the young pirate had brought home. His training was finally paying off. He still sucked at using Haki, though.

The phoenix, however, he had bigger problems on his shoulders. After doc told him about Penny and her new interest in navigation, the first mate had become paranoid. In the end, he decided to tail the young cook and see her guilt firsthand. So far, he hadn't seen anything suspicious.

The girl would get up and get a shower in the medical wing, with the nurses. Then she would head for the kitchen and work. She ate while preparing breakfast for the crew. Penny took a couple of breaks, on which she mostly hung out with Ace or Kondor. In the afternoon, she would juggle supplies for tomorrow, help out with the food or clean. She usually didn't cook lunch nor dinner. Penny baked a lot. She tended to make cookies, cakes and other sweets and give them to the pirates as they left the cafeteria.

All in all, Marco wasn't sure what he was supposed to notice. Sure, the girl did go out of her schedule sometime, but not a lot. She was always on time. She always did her work. Penny wasn't suspicious in any form. Marco's gut told him that he was on a wild goose chase, but he argued with the instinct. It was Jade who had told him about Penny. He trusted Jade just as much as he trusted his gut. Maybe even more.

The phoenix frowned and took another swig of his drink. The liquid went down fine, burning slightly, causing him to feel warm all over and have a brief moment of buzz. He didn't want to deal with this. He was one of those people who believed that you were innocent until proven guilty. And he didn't want Penny to be guilty. Then again, he didn't want anyone to be guilty. The phoenix stood, leaving his drink behind. Penny would be here for some time, working on the food. Marco needed to finish his own paperwork.

His sandals clanked through the corridor as he walked. He wanted an adventure soon. In Wano Kuni, one was bound to happen, as usual. They had been there some time ago. The trade was profitable. The people were rather nice. Their warriors were skilled, fun to spar with.

"Marco!" The blonde turned to see Izo trying to catch up to him. He waited for the Commander. The cross dresser panted and then handed Marco some papers. "I want your opinion before I go to Pops with this." The phoenix nodded and started looking over the information.

"Someone needs to go there, yoi." The first mate decided, giving the report back to Izo. The pink Commander nodded.

"It looks rather urgent and we are at least a week away from there, if not more." Izo explained. Marco nodded.

"It would take eight days to get there by ship, and that is if you have good weather." The phoenix looked to his comrade. "What did you have in mind?"

~~~~pb~~~~

Purupurupuru!

Ran heard her Den Den Mushi ringing. She frowned and changed her position on the glider. The Sparrow evaded yet another lightning bolt and spiraled down. The girl had been playing with the storm, following it as it raged. It had been a blast. She held onto the bar with only one hand, the other rummaging through her pouch for the snail.

Purupurupuru!

The Den Den Mushi looked absolutely terrified, cowering in the rain and the wind, as Ran placed it on her shoulder. Another crack of lightning drowned out the sound of the pilot picking up the call.

"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" The girl yelled, hoping that the other side could hear her. Another crack sounded and Ran switched positions. She could feel her head grow hotter and hotter and the song of the Sparrow intensified. She realized that she was flying, skipping from current to current with the barest of leanings. The Sparrow was listening to her will, even though she wasn't expressing it out loud. It was an interesting change. Intriguing. It definitely brought more to her experience while flying through the storm. She was able to rely on her feel, rather than stress about the constant switching of positions.

"Ran? Are you in a storm, honey?" Izo's voice came from the terrified snail. The pilot felt the small animal press against the side of her face as another lightning hit right beside them.

"Yeah!" There was a smile on the girl's face. She loved the thrill. The danger. The adrenaline hit. "What can I do for you, Izo, dear?"

"A storm? Is it big?" Ace's voice came from the snail. Ran grinned even wider. Her heartbeat quickened even more.

"Yeah! I've been following it!" There was a whoosh of unexpected wind and the pilot made the Sparrow spin away sideways, the girl flying head down for a bit.

"Stay safe, honey!" Izo spoke again.

"Uwaaah! Take me next time!" Ace supplied.

"Is that Ran?" Someone else asked in the background. Obviously, they were calling from the deck. This was going to be a public call, through and through. But, Ran didn't have a problem with that.

"The one and only, ladies and gentlemen! Izo, sweetie, what can I help you with?" The pilot shouted over the storm. The Sparrow propelled upwards, his cargo following. The weight was getting rather annoying. She hoped that Izo wanted her to drop by.

"I was wondering if you could be a darling and take me somewhere?" Izo explained. "It's too urgent to go by boat."

Another jump of the Sparrow made her switch currents. The pilot moved to the side, making a sharp right turn. Once more, she shot upward and then, out of the gray clouds. She took a deep breath, adjusting to the difference in oxygen concentration. The whirlwind or the storm raged below her, but Ran flew smoothly further north.

"I was actually looking for you guys. I have some cargo to drop off. After that, I can give you a lift." The pilot spoke. She could hear people talking from Izo's end of the call. The Den Den Mushi finally relaxed on her shoulder.

"We're heading to Wano now. Where are you?" The Commander answered. Ran could hear Ace and Thatch discussing what sounded like pudding in the background.

"I'm heading to Wano Kuni, too. I'm near Kazebara at the moment, heading north." The pilot looked to the horizon. She could see the calm sea beyond the whirlwind of the storm. She angled the Sparrow, aiming for the blue waves.

"Our next stop is Grandia, as far as I know. Shall we meet there?"

"Sounds good to me. I need to pick up something there anyways." Ran agreed. "See you soon, sweetie." She prepared to end the call when Ace yelled from the background.

"Ran! Hey! Ran! Bring us some good booze!"

"Shut up, kid!" Thatch interrupted. "We have the booze, bring the women!"

"Move you buffoons!" Izo snapped, and Ran could hear a commotion. It sounded like they had started fighting. A 'stop that, yoi!' alerted her to the fact that Marco had gotten involved. Ran laughed. It sounded like they were having fun.

"Ran, see you soon!" One of the pirates shouted over the commotion and the line died.

Kacha!

~~~~pb~~~~

Grandia was a rather large island, which also held a city with the same name that spread all across the rocky structure. It was thickly populated and filled with houses, inns and stores. The place was a mix of cultures and the Capital City of all Trade. It was rather interesting to see a traditional man from Wano walking with an exotic dancer from the far eastern islands. However, what was really special about Grandia was the fact that they traded with Sky Islands. One of their biggest clients was Arcadia, the city of steam. In exchange, the red soldiers of the sky city had granted protection to the whole island, with the cooperation of the World Government. All in all, being a person from Arcadia in the New World gave you a certain amount of political influence.

Ran didn't land on the dock of the plane port. She chose to position the Sparrow next to the hotel that she usually checked into. The pilot instructed her bird to fold its wings and threw a cover over it. In the tent that that made, she changed from her suit and tied her hair up. Ran packed a small bag and threw it over her shoulder.

After checking into the hotel she decided to take a walk around the island. It was time to see the status of Shrimp's package. She had been at the sea for at least two days, and since it took one to two days for the Letter Coo to deliver the letter, the cargo ship should be arriving any day now.

Ran decided to browse the new things on the island while she waited for the Whitebeard Pirates to dock since she didn't find the Arcadian golden shuttle on the plane port. The streets were packed with people from all around the New World. Ran avoided different women and men, searching for something interesting. She saw a peculiar store and went to check it out. It said 'Vivre' on a bright sign in the front. How interesting. A store called 'to live'. With a smile Ran entered. The inside looked like a right dump. It was dusty and antique looking, a sharp contrast to the recently painted outside. There was a reception desk and a green lamp lighting the dusty space. The pilot walked forward, a bit put off by the atmosphere.

"Hello?" The girl called out.

"Good day, mademoiselle." The man seemed to have peeled off the wall. He lowered his book to show a middle aged face, reading glasses on his nose. His eyes were clear, pensive. Ran could tell a pirate when she saw one. She gave him a small smile.

"Hi." The pilot dragged one finger over the reception desk surface, dust staying on her gloved fingertip. "I haven't been in the city for a while. I noticed a new store." The man nodded, separating himself from the shadows. He walked to the desk and placed his book down on the only section that wasn't dusty. "Besides, the name of the store, 'to live' was intriguing. Why is it named vivre?"

The man put his glasses down on the book. He gave her another once over. "Have you ever heard of the Vivre cards, mademoiselle?" Ran shook her head.

"It's a useful piece of paper." A familiar voice came from behind the pilot and she whirled around. Her eyes widened and a smile bloomed on her face, her heartbeat picking up. "You should get one-ooof!"

"Ace!" The girl had launched herself at the unsuspecting pirate. He accepted her hug, laughing. The clerk glared at the loud duo. "How did you find me?" Ran let the raven go to inspect his face.

"Skill." Ace shrugged. He turned to the man behind the counter. "Make one for her, would you?" The clerk nodded, turning to a cupboard behind him. He rummaged the shelves for a moment.

"I need some of your fingernails, mademoiselle." He turned to her with nail clippers. Ran gave Ace an unsure look, but the pirate nodded, encouraging her. She stepped forward, taking off her gloves and allowed the clerk to take a piece of her nail. It took a moment, since Ran had to keep her nails short, but the man managed to gather enough. He looked her with his analyzing eyes once again. "Do come back in a day or two." He packed the fingernail pieces carefully into an envelope. "Under what name should I keep this, mademoiselle?" Ran opened her mouth, but Ace was faster.

"Portgas D. Ace. Thank you very much." The raven was aware that the girl was glaring at him. He had done it again. Smothered her. He gave her a cute smile, attempting to get out of the lecture that was coming. She ignored it, slightly pissed.

"How much will that be, sir?" Ran asked, reaching for her purse. The clerk looked to her once more, eyes twinkling with mirth.

"I thought that monsieur Portgas D. Ace would be picking the order up? It gets paid after the product is finished, after all. Since the sample doesn't necessary have to make the Papier de la Vie." The man explained. Ace frowned sadly. Ran grinned wider.

"Thank you very much, sir!" And with that, she grabbed the pirate's hand and dragged him into the busy street. Ace was sulking.

"When did you guys dock?" Ran asked, letting go of the pirate's arm. He grabbed her hand before she could pull away, tugging her closer. She was painfully aware of the heat his shirtless body gave off. Her heart sped up. Ran ignored her body's reaction and gave Ace a questioning glance.

"So I don't lose you in this crowd, tiny person." He replied cheekily. Ran snorted, but accepted his answer. Not like she wasn't enjoying the contact. His hand was deliciously hot, but not overly sweaty. She could also feel his muscles move. Somehow, either she was insane, or his hands had become manlier in their time apart. Maybe she has gone a little coo coo for coco puffs.

"You listening to me?" Ace shook their joined hands.

"No, sorry, I was spacing out." Ran laughed. The pirate shook his head.

"I said that we docked a few hours ago, but not in the main port. We had to go around, like all the other pirates. Since Pops doesn't want to lower his flag when docking." Ace chuckled and the pilot shivered at the sound. What was wrong with her?

"Not like that would do him any good. Every fool would recognize the Moby Dick, even without the flag." She kept her cool. Ace nodded. He glanced down at her, grinning. She hadn't noticed until now just how taller he was than her. "What's with the smile?" Hopefully, he hadn't noticed her body betraying her in his presence. She wasn't used to reacting to men like this. She was the one causing all the reactions. She was the one in control. It scared her that his mere presence could make her feel this flustered. Maybe she had never actually liked the men that she had been with before? None of them had made her feel like this, after all. She couldn't be near this man. He was dangerous.

"Nothing. Just happy to see you. Objections?" Ace was all cheeky and proud. Confident. She hadn't seen that before. Where was all this confidence coming from? The person from a few months ago, that shy, not really sure of himself, kid. When the hell did he become this proud and confident pirate? Or maybe she had been blind. She had missed it. But, if anything, it made him even more attractive in her eyes.

"Many." Ran supplied, a smirk appearing on her lips. She saw the look that Ace gave her. She reveled in the shock laced with arousal. She knew how to play this field well. No matter how shy she was sometimes, this game, she understood.

~~~~pb~~~~

Docking at Grandia was always a mess. Marco sighed, rubbing his forehead. The docks personnel were always asking questions, rerouting them to a new space, telling them not to cause trouble. Generally, being a pain. The First Commander sat on the railing, watching the pirates unload onto the shore. They had registered and made a deal with the port manager. The man had been persistent. In the end, Marco wasn't able to convince him, and the brave civilian had walked onto the deck of the Moby Dick and sat in front of Whitebeard, demanding to speak with him. After a few moments of relative privacy, the two had come to an agreement, and the crew started the settling in process. This was their last stop before Wano Kuni, after all.

"You seem tense." Soft, but strong hands gripped his shoulders, gently squeezing. Marco let out a grunt of confirmation. He was tense. Not only were they docked at the Capital of Trade, where one misstep was an instant disaster, but he didn't know what to do with the situation with Penny. He didn't think that she was the traitor, but he just couldn't disregard doc's words. "What's on your mind?" Said woman asked from behind him. The phoenix leaned to the side and tilted his head to see her. She looked like she hadn't been sleeping.

"You look like crap, yoi." There was an instant change on her face. She became ticked off and her, until now gentle massage of his shoulders, became a painful pressing of pressure points. Marco winced, but didn't move away.

"You sure know how to woo a woman." Her touch became gentle once more and the Commander relaxed into it. She certainly knew how to make him feel like he was in heaven. He sighed in pleasure and let his head loll back. It landed onto doc's chest, but she didn't push it away. She kept kneading out the knots in his shoulders and upper back.

"How long have you gone without sleep, Jade?" Marco opened his eyes and looked lazily up at the woman. His tone was serious, though. She gave a small smile.

"A while." Her hands came up, going over his shoulders and onto his chest. They glided over the fabric of his open shirt and her fingertips gently traced his tattoo, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. Marco sighed once more. However, he wasn't distracted by her ministrations.

"How long, yoi?" His voice had gone deeper, huskier, but he wouldn't be deterred. Doc sighed this time, stepping back. Marco caught himself before he could fall because of the sudden loss of support.

"Leave it alone, Marco." The dark woman sounded adamant. She walked away from him, avoiding the unloading pirates as she headed towards the city. The phoenix sighed, running a hand through his hair. However, he let her go. He always let her go.

~~~~pb~~~~

The Whitebeard Pirates could throw one hell of a party, and that was a fact. Ran had refused the generous offer of the Yonko to stay on his ship that night and check out of her hotel, but, she had accepted his invitation to the party. Izo had received the girl with open arms, ecstatic to see her again. The crew had been happy to see the pilot, too, many of them congratulating her on her bounty. Most of them were kind of preoccupied with the women that Thatch had brought to the ship, though. He had gone to a popular café that hired belly dancers and geishas and asked the ladies to join their celebration. Since the Commander was a regular in the café whenever they docked on Grandia, the girls accepted happily.

Ran had taken a walk around the city with Ace. She had enjoyed it. The raven had talked non-stop, telling her all about his heroic deeds. He had explained to her about Penny, the shy new cook, and about his many fights with enemy crews. He also told her what had happened with the Hollow Skull Pirates and the corrupt Marine Captain Nathaniel Fish. Ran had listened. She enjoyed his voice, the way he retold the stories, the way he got into the stories, like he was back there again.

He was so alive, so free, and so similar to her in that sense, unlike most people that she saw. Of course, her new awareness of her attraction to him didn't hurt either. It seemed like the separation had only intensified her desire. She was going to hold her liquor tonight. If she didn't, she might do something that they would both regret. It seemed like he had understood her subtle message with the chocolates, though. And he wasn't doing anything yet. It seemed like she would have to give him some more motivation.

The music was loud, the pirates laughing and dancing and Ran was buzzed nicely. Sure, she had held back, but the pilot never could resist the rum. After at least half of the bottle, the girl had accepted Thatches persistent attempts to get her to dance with him. They ended up awkwardly jumping around, not like the either minded. The two laughed merrily, messing around, until an attractive belly dancer walked by, giving the Commander a meaningful look. He gave Ran an apologetic glance, but the pilot pushed him forward, supportive. Everyone deserved to have fun.

Ran walked over to Ace and plopped down. The raven was drinking with his division, laughing at some drunken story. The pilot tried to listen in, she really did, but the context escaped her. She borrowed the rum bottle once again. The alcohol made her feel brave. It made her bold, and not just in the words department.

"Ran, listen to this! This is hilarious!" Ace tapped the girl's bare knee, catching her attention successfully. His touch left a warm trail on her skin. Ran's mind flashed back to one of her hotter dreams. She managed to surpass the gasp at the contact, though.

She looked to the current storyteller, but his words sounded like they were in another language. Ran couldn't concentrate. Actually, she could. She could concentrate only on the heat beside her. Ace was always unusually warm, probably because of his Devil Fruit abilities. That heat was distracting. She wanted those hot hands on her skin. She wanted those scorching kisses on her throat. She wanted this pirate to pull her hair roughly. She wanted him to press her against a wall. She wanted Ace to push her over the edge and make her feel bliss.

The pirates around her laughed and she did too, as if she were listening to the story. Ran chanced a glance at the raven beside her. His smiling face sent a pleasant pang to the pit of her stomach. The pilot smirked, an idea forming in her head. She took a swig from her bottle and placed it down. Swiftly, the girl swiped the pirate's hat off his head while he was laughing. She plopped the orange thing on her own head, grinning. She jumped to her feet a little clumsily, due to the alcohol, and then she took off. She heard Ace calling her name, but she didn't turn. She ran, laughing, around the dancing pirates, evading their flailing limbs. Ran crossed the deck quickly and turned slightly, to see if Ace was following her.

When she saw him running towards her, she gave a squeal and took off again. Ran passed a laughing Marco, an occupied Thatch and finally, a smug and smirking Izo. She evaded a couple of staggering pirates and rushed around Whitebeard. Ran stumbled up the stairs, around the entrance to the quarters and headed towards the stern. She could feel Ace's abnormal heat closing in on her with her half-baked mantra.

"Ran!" She heard him yell once again. "Stop! Ran!" He was laughing, though. "Give it back!"

"Come and get it!" She yelled back at him, grinning at the innuendo. Her heart was pounding. Suddenly, her run was interrupted. Ace's hand caught her wrist and stopped her. She turned around, trying to shake him off. In the flurry of movement the pirate ended up slamming the girl against the wall of the Captain's quarters. She groaned at the impact, the pain barely registering in her head as the pleasure pooled in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh, shit! Are you ok?" Ace asked, his hands going to her arms, gently holding her up. He reached for his hat on her head, raising the edge. Her blue eyes peeked from underneath and Ran looked at him through her lashes. He could see the light blush on her cheeks, both from the booze and the chase. Her chest went up and down rapidly, but Ace couldn't look away from her eyes. They had blue and green flecks in them. He was hypnotized.

"I'm fine." She panted. He could feel her hot breath on his face. His body temperature rose on its own and he pushed it down. Ran hissed at the increase of heat on her upper arm where his hand was. Her eyes closed and her head fell back, hitting the planks of the wall lightly. She sighed in pleasure.

"I think you're more than fine." Ace smirked, but it fell off his face soon. Ran hooked her thumb into the raven's belt and pulled. Their hips met and they both gasped. The pirate caught himself by slamming his raised arm's forearm against the wall. She could feel his excitement clearly. "Ranmao." Ace pushed through his teeth. "What the hell are you doing?" Her eyes opened, locking with his once more. They spoke volumes, showing clear mischief.

Ace's left hand dropped from her upper arm and slid to her hip, gripping it almost painfully. Ran didn't mind one bit. Her heart was skipping beats. She thought that she would have a heart attack. Her thumb pulled on his belt once more, getting his hips closer to hers. She loved the heat that he gave off. Her fingertips had become icy from excitement. Her other hand landed on his stomach, the pads of her fingers barely touching his abs. She could feel him shudder and reveled in the reaction.

Ran moved forward, her lips nearing Ace's, but never touching. She knew that he could feel each and every breath she took. After all, she could feel his. She could smell rum on his breath. It was nostalgic. Like home.

"I'm playing with fire." The girl whispered, but Ace heard her, even over the noise of the party in the background. He smiled, chuckling through his nose. Ran felt it rumble through his chest. Heat pooled in her stomach once more. She licked her lips slowly, making him focus on them.

"You know what they say…" Ace whispered right back, voice low, deep. "Play with fire, and you might get burned." His lower lip almost brushed her top one as he spoke, but she evaded it. Ran's right hand on his stomach rose, leaving a cool trail against his burning skin. She literally felt his breath hitch.

"Maybe I'll like it?" Ran bit her lower lip, almost looking nervous. Ace focused on it once more. There was a small smile on her lips and soon on his, too.

"Masochistic woman." He said. She pulled on his belt deliciously once more. His fingers dug into her hip and his pelvis pushed her into the wall. Ran released a shaky breath.

"You finally get it." Her eyes were open, locking his, hypnotizing. He couldn't look away.

"I want to kiss you." Ace admitted. Ran pushed her hips into his once again, as if rewarding him. She was smirking, throughout fully enjoying his reaction. Ace felt his temperature spike once again and he persistently pushed it down.

"Why don't you?" Her lips finally brushed against his and Ace snapped. He slammed his mouth against hers.

**That's all folks! **

**Mwahahahaha~ I'm sooo eeeebil :D**

**Anyways! I absolutely love how MarcoxJade and AcexRan clash! While Marco is very aware of his feelings and of the situation, his way of showing and receiving attention is very mature. Jade is quite aware of Marco's feelings, but she isn't too sure of her own, so she isn't acting on them yet. All in all, it is one rather 'adult' relationship. **

**And on the other hand we have RanxAce. Now, they are hormonal teens, it's all about the fast and the hot, what they are feeling in the moment and all that. Just thought that I'd point out that interesting comparison :D**

**Reviews:**

**Otaku: The twins are actually quite adorable :3 Seeing as Sita was made as a Law pairing, that could develop a very interesting angle, no?**

**Thank you :D I probably feel so 'safe' in the WB crew because they aren't as well shown as the other crews. For example, I am writing a Strawhat story, but it has been a pain. They are veeeery eccentric :P**

**I hope you enjoyed the AcexRan :D I did… Now, the question is, which was better? Sita or Ace?**

**Ahhhh I know those words… Sleep is for the weak… But I don't suggest it…. Do get at least some… :D I love my sleep, even though I prefer to nap from 5am till 2pm :D Hehehehehee~**

**Hope you enjoyed :3**


	20. Fantastic baby

**Welcome, ladies and gents!**

**I would like to thank Magic126 and TheLightFairyHearts for the story alert and fav, and also, the author alert and fav! I am flattered xD**

**I'm sorry, but I am rather busy with my exams, so I may not update for a while :(**

**anniewanny2, this is your chapter :D Hope you enjoy the bits and pieces of steam hehehehehee~**

**Chapter 20: (OMG already!?) Fantastic Baby – Big Bang (Because I adore them :D)**

Ace opened his eyes, slowly coming to. He felt exhausted, even though he was pretty sure that he had slept throughout the night. In fact, he could remember drinking and laughing with his division members at the party. He could still see all the dancing pirates and the beautiful women that Thatch had brought. He could still smell the alcohol mixed with the sea air. And motor oil. That was a strange one. He usually didn't smell motor oil. Or soot. Just where had he fallen asleep?

The pirate blinked a couple of times, focusing on his surroundings. His left arm was numb for some reason. With a groan, he tried to pull it up, only to feel weight on it, trapping the tingling limb. Ace rolled to his side, trying to see the source of the weight. It was tickling his skin. What he was definitely not expecting to see was Ran's sleeping face.

Ace blinked a few more times, panic slowly settling in his stomach. How far had they exactly gone last night? He remembered chasing her. She had stolen his hat, that little minx. He could see the orange thing lying above her head, her hair splayed all around it. The cord that usually held it to his neck was now around hers, digging into her chin. She didn't seem to mind it.

The girl softly sighed, her legs moving. The icy limbs connected with Ace's hotter ones and she pulled him closer, trying to get herself warm. The pirate glanced down, his heart beating wildly. It seemed to him like the sheer loudness of it would wake her. If they had clothes on, he was in the safe zone. Ace let out a sigh of relief, seeing her colorful tank top on her, along with her shorts. The fly was open and the zipper unzipped, but they were on her. He couldn't locate his own belt, but he, too, had his pants on. Good. That calmed his panic down a bit. He had already had a flash of horror imagining Ran with a swollen baby belly. He would never allow that to happen. Not by him. Ever.

Focusing at the task at hand, the pirate tried to extract himself from the girl. She moaned slightly at his movement and he froze. Then he relaxed, giving in. No harm in letting her sleep for a while longer. Ace looked around, trying to find out where they were. He recognized the place quickly. This was, after all, the first room that he had seen on the Moby Dick. The Commander's quarters. More specifically, the second division Commander's quarters.

After the room had been emptied of the former Commander's affects, it became a dead zone. Simply, no one went there. At first it was because the room reminded them of their comrade. Later, it just became tradition not to go here. And then, Thatch started another ritual. He made it the go-to room. Simply, you need privacy, you go to the second division Commander's quarters. Of course, neither Marco nor Jozu appreciated that, as they shared walls with said room, but, Thatch was a force of nature, through and through, and Pops didn't really object. So, Ace wasn't too surprised to find out that he and Ran had fallen asleep there.

The pirate stretched his neck, as much as the pilot beside him allowed, and glanced out the small round window. It was still dark outside. No signs of the first rays of the sun, either. He closed his eyes and listened, trying to pinpoint the time. He could hear his own, now calm and steady breathing. He could also hear Ran's soft inhales and exhales. He could also feel it on the skin of his neck. Ace felt his manbits twitch, but he ignored it. Now was definitely not the time. Her breath was leaving goose bumps on his skin, though.

He focused on the sounds again, and not the effect that Ran's sleeping form had on him. He could hear the rhythmical splash of the waves against the Moby Dick. But nothing else. The party was clearly over. Ace sighed. His messed up sleeping pattern was being amazing again. Maybe he should take doc up on her offer and get some help. Then again, narcolepsy never hurt anyone. Well, a couple of muggings, sure, but nothing too bad. Besides, after he got his tattoo, even the muggings stopped. Who would rob a Whitebeard pirate sleeping in the middle of the street?

Ace chuckled at the thought. Ran moaned again and moved. Her arms, which had been folded in between their bodies, snaked around Ace's middle, pulling him to her. Obviously, she was appreciating the human furnace beside her. Her top, which had already ridden up, exposing her stomach, went further up with her movement. Ace felt her clothed breasts press against his naked chest, and his temperature rose once again. He pushed it down, persistent.

He heard her mumble something and tuned in. This was a rare opportunity. Seeing Ran so vulnerable. He moved his numb arm a bit forward, getting the girl off the place where she had been for the last couple of hours. This lessened the pressure a bit, but it also brought her closer to him. Now, he could feel each soft puff even better. He almost groaned at blood that shot to his groin, but held it back. His inner temperature rose once more. The girl moved, snuggling closer, letting a soft sigh of pleasure at the warmth. Her mouth opened, her lips grazing his neck as she murmured.

"Free…" Ace smiled. She was free, for sure. "Set me free…" The second murmur caught his attention. What was she trying to escape? Who was she calling for? Wasn't she free already?

Ace tried to disentangle himself from her, thinking that she wanted to be free of him. Maybe his arms were smothering her. Getting his legs free was easy enough, but when he tried to lift her head, very gently by the way, her fingers dug into his back. The pirate froze. Ran's short nails scraped gently down his skin, leaving goose bumps. He sighed in pleasure. Maybe this was a good way to sleep through the night. He couldn't really remember how he had ended up in the bed with Ran. The pilot's leg moved on its own, her knee dragging itself all the way to Ace's hip. He gave up and adjusted her head back on his upper arm, secretly enjoying the small puffs of air on his neck.

"Ace." She sighed into his ear through her sleep and a flashback hit him like a ton of bricks.

_Their lips had clashed like there was no tomorrow. Ace could feel his temperature rise, but he wasn't bothering to control his Devil Fruit powers anymore. Ran's teeth caught his lip when they parted for air shortly. She pulled on the skin lightly, warning him not to go far away. The hand, which was now holding his belt for dear life, tugged him back towards her. Not like he was going anywhere. The other one had slipped away from his belly, allowing Ran to press herself further into him. He could feel her nails gently coercing him to come down for another kiss. And he did._

_Ace considered himself to be a good kisser. True, he didn't have years of practice under his belt, but he did have some skill. By the way the pilot reacted, he figured that she liked it. When their kiss deepened, he allowed himself to explore her mouth, swallowing her moans and sighs. He knew by now that she liked a little pain, a little danger. She was a true thrill seeker. And having his hat on her head didn't really help her case. So, Ace urged his body temperature to soar, enjoying the surprised yelp and then sigh that she gave. The pirate smirked. This girl was kinky. And for once, he didn't really mind it. _

_Getting an idea, since Ran didn't seem to be in the mood to take control, Ace pulled back from the kiss. He reveled in the way her lips followed his, trying to get another scorching treat, but he evaded it, ducking down instead. Ran realized what he was doing and her arms let go of him, instead finding purchase on his shoulders. She pushed, and Ace took a minute to get what she wanted. The pirate paused in his ministrations for a second and grabbed her hips. In a moment, she had her legs around his waist and he had a much better view than before. She did look rather hot up there, her hair slightly spilling from his hat, eyes smoldering and looking at him. Daring him to kiss. Ace loved dares. _

The raven groaned at the memory, feeling the heat pooling into his neither regions. If he didn't stop remembering, he would have a problem real soon. One that he preferred not to ignore. Ran, of course, chose that moment to move, seeking more warmth. Ace froze when her hips rose forward, pushing against his now evident problem. He sighed softly, thinking of all the gross things that he had seen. Like Teach doing yoga. His arm settled down across the pilot's body, and he was slightly scared that its weight would crush her. Silly, he knew that, but he still gently relaxed it, as if waiting for her to start coughing or struggling with her breath. Instead, she seemed even happier at the source of heat around her. Ace wasn't sure when, but at some point, his mind, blank of all thoughts for once, was lulled into sleep by Ran's breathing. He was aware that the last thing to cross his mind was something along the lines of 'i could get used to this'.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco woke early. He was either the last to sleep, or the first to rise. So, walking around the dark deck full of passed out pirates was a normal occurrence for him. He had fallen asleep while drinking and partying, leaving the guard duty to someone else. He had chosen to have fun, diligence could come later. The phoenix didn't see anything out of order, so he had chosen well. The soft snores of his comrades and their guests from Grandia made him smile as he went about, doing his rounds. His stomach growled and he figured that he could fix himself something. It had been a while since he had cooked, but not forever.

The phoenix was surprised to find Penny in the kitchen. It was empty, except the young girl, who was flying around, making breakfast for an army. She seemed like she had popped out of a fairy tale, only the birds and small animals were missing. She didn't look one bit hung-over. Then again, she probably hadn't been drinking, unlike the rest of the crew. When he came closer, carefully masking his presence, he heard her humming softly something that sounded a lot like 'Jolly sailor bold'. With a small smile on his face, Marco decided to greet her.

"Good morning, yoi." The reaction was immediate. The small cook jumped with a scream, causing all the pans and plates that she had been moving or holding to fly towards the floor. Marco was quick in correcting his mistake. He flashed over, using his Devil Fruit abilities unashamedly, and caught as many objects as he could.

"Oh, Calypso!" The girl exclaimed, removing the hot pan that had been on the stove first. She watched in fascination as Marco's wounds healed. Penny's hands moved on autopilot, taking the rest of the dishes absentmindedly. "Please don't scare me like that again, Commander Marco-sama." The girl scolded him without any force behind her words. The first mate gave her an ashamed smile. "Would you like some breakfast, Commander Marco-sama?" The cook asked and continued flipping the bacon and eggs, as if he hadn't been holding the blistering metal in his bare hands seconds ago.

"If it's not too much trouble, yoi." He said, pulling out a stool and settling himself inside the kitchen. The scent of frying bacon made his mouth water. He needed something greasy to balance out all the alcohol from last night. True, he didn't usually get drunk, as his powers kicked in, making the effects of alcohol go away, but, he still felt that need for food after drinking.

"What would you like, Commander Marco-sama?" Penny asked, turning to him with a large, pure smile on her face. Was she really a traitor? A spy? True, you had to expect the unexpected. You had to doubt the ones that looked innocent. But this was a bit too much. Marco knew a little bit about Stockholm syndrome. That was the only way that this girl could be a spy.

"Some of that should be great, yoi." The Commander gave her a smile, a sick feeling in his stomach. He didn't want this small, innocent girl to be a spy. Because, if she was… He would have to kill her.

"Here you go!" Penny placed a plate in front of him. He glanced down as she went back to her work and saw that she had prepared a full meal, even carefully arranging it by color. The sick feeling deepened.

~~~~pb~~~~

Izo woke up and disentangled himself from Thatch fairly easily. Somehow, the two ended up in a weird form of a cuddle while sleeping drunk off their asses. It had been rather uncomfortable to wake up in that position. Izo was not going to mention it. Ever again. Ever.

Stop.

Knowing his brothers as well as he did, there were most likely witnesses to his compromising position. He was going to have to make them shut up. The usual suspects were, of course, Marco and doc, as she didn't sleep too often. Ace was eliminated quickly, for Izo had seen Ran tease the poor pirate last night. He was probably preoccupied somewhere. From the stories that he had coaxed from the pilot under the influence, he knew that she had quite an appetite. A kinky one, too. Lucky Ace.

Izo straightened his kimono, focusing. He took apart his hairdo, redoing it without a mirror expertly. Marco and doc. Those were his targets. As far as Izo could remember, the dark woman had been on watch last night. He would tackle that problem first.

Looking up the mast and towards the crow's nest, he saw the long, silky hair swaying in the wind. It wasn't too cold, but it was chilly, so Izo decided to be a good friend and bribe the woman. Gods knew that he didn't want to get in a verbal fight with her. He would be flying overboard in seconds. Whoever taught that woman to use Haki was an idiot. Or a genius. She had saved the Commander's ass a few times, both on the operating table and off.

Izo quickly went to his chambers and lit a lantern. He searched for something appropriate and found a comfortable blanket, one that he often brought on watch himself. It was something that he had taken with him from home. A memento of sorts, showing mountains and a temple, drawn in the traditional style of his country. The pink Commander took it, extinguished the lantern and headed towards the crow's nest.

Climbing up was a piece of cake, even in his hung-over state. The doc didn't turn around when he jumped onto the planks. She had known that he was awake for quite some time now, after all. She was proficient in Kenbunshoku Haki.

"Izo." The woman greeted. Her voice was unusually low, somehow tired. The Commander unfolded the blanket and slid it around her shoulders. Her hands came up to hold it. She turned to him slightly, and Izo froze. The woman looked like she had walked out of her own grave moments ago.

"How long have you been awake, doc?" Izo tried to make his voice as gentle as possible, yet stern. He knew well how this woman had problems with sleeping. She had tried to help Ace many times, yet she never attempted to fix herself. His narcolepsy was less of a problem then her insomnia, in Izo's opinion.

"None of your business." She snapped at him, turning back around. Izo let her. He settled himself next to the doctor on the railing and rummaged through his sleeve for his kiseru. He didn't light it all the time. However, in the early morning hours, such as these, he sometimes did. The smell and the taste of the sweet smoke made him more alert. It also helped him calm down, almost hearing the rivers and forests of his home. His hand shook slightly as he lit the thin pipe. He was well aware that they were heading for Wano Kuni, no setbacks. He just wasn't ready yet. He couldn't go back yet. Soon, he promised himself, as he always did. However, this wasn't about him.

"It's not good for you, sweetie." The Commander said, exhaling the scented air from his lungs. "I know that it's hard to fall asleep. You keep seeing everything that you don't want to. And even when you do go under, you keep seeing it. All night long." He saw her tighten her hold on the blanket. "I would know." Izo whispered.

Doc stood and turned to the Commander. "You seem to be fishing in the dark, Commander Izo. Be careful that you don't get pulled in by a big one." She told him under her breath. "What I do is none of your business." Izo frowned. He reached out to the woman, giving her time to pull back. She didn't. The Commander pushed some stray hairs behind her ear gently. His thumb caressed the soft skin of her cheek.

"If you won't talk to me, talk to Marco. Just talk to someone about it, love." Doc grabbed his hand. She stared at him for a moment and then nodded. Izo gave the woman a small smile.

The dark woman walked to the edge of the crow's nest. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you and Thatch." A small smirk was on her face. The Commander could see the shadow of the former doc on her face. The one before all the sleepless nights and shutting herself in the medical wing. When he noticed that she was leaving the small space, leaving him on watch without the blanket, but with his objective reached, he froze.

"Wait. There's nothing between Thatch and I!" Izo grabbed the railing, yelling after the doc and towards the deck in panic. He heard her chuckling on the way down.

~~~~pb~~~~

"This was delicious, Penny." Marco thanked the girl, putting his plates in the sink. She smiled and nodded.

"Anytime, Commander Marco-sama." She expected the phoenix to leave, but he didn't. The Commander picked up a sponge and put some detergent on it. He hadn't done these duties in a while, but he didn't mind helping out once in a while. The first couple of plate felt alien in his hands, but he got back into routine quickly. He saw Penny watching him, probably shocked by the fact that the first mate was washing dishes.

"Say, Penny, have you ever wanted to try something besides cook duty, yoi?" The phoenix spoke, catching the cook off guard. She paused in mixing some dough to look at the Commander. Penny then resumed her movements, thinking. Marco glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Did he scare her off? He opened his mouth to soothe her, but she spoke up.

"I have." Marco stayed silent. He needed to hear. He needed for her to confirm or deny doc's accusations. "Commander Marco-sama, I became a pirate, although not a very good one, to find my mother." She paused slightly. "I would like to learn how to navigate and operate a boat on my own…" Marco noticed a small, sad smile on her face. "I don't want to be a bother, sir. If my search for my parent ever interferes with your objectives as pirates, I would leave and wish you the best of luck. I want to be able to fend for myself if it ever comes to that, Commander Marco-sama." The girl finished.

Marco smiled, his posture finally relaxed. "I don't see how our objectives could ever clash, yoi." He rinsed and placed a plate on a drier. "We help our own, Penny. If you ever feel the need to split away from the main ship to search, you will have our support, yoi." There was silence for a while, as the cook had stopped mixing with her wooden spoon. Marco kept washing the dishes. It wasn't until he rinsed the last plate that she spoke.

"Thank you, Commander Marco-sama." When he turned to the girl, he was surprised to see her giving a ninety degree angle bow. He could see the salty drops falling from her eyes onto the floor. All the doubt in his mind vanished.

"Anytime, Penelope." He ruffled her hair when she straightened. "You ask me if you need anything, alright, yoi?" When the girl nodded he turned to leave. "Have a good day, yoi." And with that the Commander left to find doc.

"You, too, Commander Marco-sama!" He heard the girl yell after him and smiled to himself. Why did doc doubt this girl? An idea churned in his stomach. A thought that he didn't like even one tiny bit. Frowning, he changed his course from the medical wing to the deck. He needed time to think before he talked to the woman.

~~~~pb~~~~

The second time Ace woke up was because of the commotion outside. He wriggled slightly, and then relaxed in the comfortable bed. The body beside him didn't do any harm either. He felt at peace.

Ran groaned after a particularly loud yell came outside the window. Her eyes fluttered and she rolled away from her bedmate. The pilot sat up, pulling Ace's hat after her. He watched as it settled on her back and decided that he liked it when Ran wore it. The pilot looked around, as if remembering last night. She turned slightly, and cast a glance over her shoulder at Ace, noticing how he was focused on her. A grin split her lips and she crawled back up to him. Her hair made a curtain around them when she bent down, giving him a chaste kiss.

"Morning." She whispered against his lips. Ace hummed and caught her mouth with his again. Damn, he could get used to this. The pilot chuckled when he tried to deepen the kiss and sat back. She sighed, seeming relaxed and well-rested, and then stretched her arms over her head. Ace heard some of her joints pop and laughed. Strange woman. She stuck her tongue out at him and jumped up from the bed, looking for her boots. Half way through her search, she noticed that her zipper was undone and she fixed her shorts.

The pirate didn't bother getting up. He preferred to lay back and enjoy the view. So far, Ran hadn't made any attempt to pull her top down, to cover her bare back and stomach. Then again, last time he had seen her she had worn a bikini top with the shorts, so Ace figure that she was used to exposing that part of her flesh. Not like he was going to miss the chance to enjoy it. He liked the way her muscles moved beneath her skin.

_Ace bent forward, kissing the pilot's collarbone, going further down, but never to her breasts. She sighed above him, head falling back in pleasure. The pirate nipped her skin gently and enjoyed the way her hips jerked into his. Ace groaned and pressed an open mouthed kiss to the nape of her neck. She wriggled when his hot tongue made contact with her skin._

_"Harder." Ran moaned out. The pirate wasn't too sure what he could do harder. It's not like he was in her. Yet. So the raven settled for grinding his hips against hers, her pants music to his ears. She pushed back and Ace knew that she needed more. He wasn't used to getting overly rough in his romantic endeavors, but he was willing to try it out. His, until then gentle kisses at her neck turned into small nips and then into a bite._

_As soon as his teeth sunk into her neck, careful not to break skin, Ran's hands flew from his shoulders and into his hair. She moaned, exposing her neck further to him. The pirate, encouraged by the tugging in his hair, sucked gently on the spot and then pulled back, soothing the quickly forming hickey with his tongue. The girl shivered, her nails scraping against his scalp. Ran's hand flew to one of his, which was pressed under her thigh, holding her up. She pulled it off of there, keeping her position with her own strength and she pushed his palm in between them, towards her shorts. Ace pulled back from her neck for a second, only to see her heated gaze, urging him on. His fingers made short work of her zipper and his hand dove in. Ran pulled on his hair once more, getting his head back and she kissed him from above, her control over the contact complete. Masochist his ass. She may like a bit of pain, but she was in charge, through and through. _

_The pilot pulled back a bit and murmured against his lips. "Let's go somewhere else." Ace was happy to oblige._

Ace smiled at the memory that was slowly coming back. The alcohol was slowly washing off, giving him a pounding headache. It was worth it, though.

"What are you grinning all smug about?" Ran asked, hair tie in her mouth, piling her hair onto the top of her head in a bun. Ace jumped off the bed in one quick motion and crossed the room in seconds. He tugged on the object in between her teeth and the pilot let the hair tie go. She couldn't resist his childish grin.

"You." Ace answered pulling his own longish hair back and tying it in a tiny ponytail. Ran stared in amusement and slight shock at how different he looked. She liked the way the shorter strands fell into his eyes slightly and the longer ones not pulled back framed his face. With a smile, she let her own hair fall and found pleasure in the way his eyes darkened. She bent forward, reached slightly up and pulled Ace in for another kiss. He happily obliged.

This one wasn't like the ones from last night. It was gentle, loving. Like a comforting caress. Ace could feel just how much she cared for him. Ran pulled back, her lips lingering on his. The pirate connected their foreheads, not really wanting to let her go, but knowing that the little bird was going to fly away again.

"What happens now?" The raven asked. Ran could hear the fear in his voice. He wanted her to stay. That was one of the things that she could never give him. Stability. She knew that if he asked her right now to choose, him or the skies, she would take off into the skies, no matter how much it hurt. Ran sighed, her heart torn.

"I don't know." She replied honestly. Ace's warm hands circled her, trapping her body against his.

"I'm not going to ask you to stay." He said, his breath fanning over her face. Ran moved her head up, locking their eyes. He looked determined. "I'm going to ask you to come back." The pirate clarified, causing the pilot to smile.

"I can do that." Ran answered and caught his lips once more. It was a slow kiss. Their tongues danced around each other, as if playing. Ace caught his fingers into the pilot's hair. He probably had some kind of hair fetish or something. He adored her hair already. They split up slowly, the girl nipping his lower lip gently. She laughed then, throwing her head back. Ace raised one eyebrow, asking a silent question. Her laughter died down and then she replied. "You said to me that you wanted to kiss me yesterday."

Ace flushed slightly. "Shut up, don't remind me." Ran smirked slightly at his expression. She caught his face before he could turn away from her and locked their eyes.

"We have no idea when we will die, Ace." The pirate looked at her in shock. Was she terminally ill or something? "So, you can kiss me anytime." The pilot giggled, loving the expressions that passed across his face. He threw her an exasperated look and his eyes went around the room, searching.

"Have you seen my belt?" He asked, looking back down at her. Ran giggled.

"The last time I saw it, you were trying to tie me up with it." Ace felt his face freeze and his jaw drop. Tie up? "I might have told you to do it, so don't worry." The pilot laughed at his expression.

~~~~pb~~~~

When Ran found Izo that day, he had a frown on his face. Of course, it was replaced with a smirk as soon as he saw her.

"Why hello there, Ran." He said, but his tone spoke 'spill'. Ran shrugged, a light blush on her face, despite her aloof demeanor. Izo wouldn't be deterred. He had won this battle one too many times already. He would win it once more. He took the less obvious approach, just walking with the girl. "Where are you headed, honey?" The Commander asked, seeing that she was going to leave the Moby Dick.

Ran glanced around the deck which was full of movement. The pirates were cleaning up the aftermath of the insane party from last night. They were also loading some of the cargo that was needed for their journey to the Wano Kuni. "To the hotel." The pilot replied. "I need to pay for my unused room and get the Sparrow." She was frowning. "We are leaving today, no?" Izo nodded.

"Give me a second to let someone know, and I'll walk with you?" The Commander asked, not letting the teen slip away. She chuckled and nodded.

"I'll wait for you on the dock."

It was strange, Ran thought, how easily she had accepted this crew into her daily life. They got under skin far too easily. Sure, at first they were a profitable client. It was good to work for a Yonko, especially one such as Whitebeard. She had done a couple of deliveries for the Red Hair Pirates, too. She hadn't minded them, either. Well, they did go a little overboard with festivities, but other than that, they were good. Ran had stumbled upon some quite unpleasant clients. Bogus jobs in an attempt to capture the Migratory Bird and her machine and sell them into slavery. Needless to say, she had been fast enough and got away with minimal damage.

This thing with Ace was a little bothersome. She could be friends with pirates. Like Izo, Thatch, even Marco and Leo. She had gotten used to exchanging letters with some of them, especially the pink Commander. Izo was a hard person not to like. He was also stubborn in his advances. At first, Ran had thought that he was hitting on her, quite boldly, too. Then, she had noticed the way the Commander interacted with his peers. It was the same. He had merely tried to befriend her. To make her feel at home. And she had. She truly had felt safe and protected whenever she was with the Whitebeard Pirates. However, she still wasn't ready to call a certain place her home. Maybe she never will. Who knew.

"Hey." The pilot turned around, expecting Izo, but she saw Ace. A slight frown on her face, she threw him a questioning glance. They had gotten breakfast together, some anti-hangover goo, too, and then the pirate had gone to do his duties, promising her to meet up later. "I forgot to return this." Ace grinned that full grin of his, coercing her to smile at him, too. He placed her hair tie into her hand, leaving a hot trail everywhere he touched.

"Thanks." Ran was suddenly breathless.

"Later." The pirate left, and Ran was pretty sure that he had been oblivious to her reaction to him. She stood for a while on the dock, watching him walk away, greet some of the crew and stop to talk.

"Not going to give him his hat back?" Izo's voice came from behind her. By the look on his face, he had been standing there for a while. Kiseru in one hand, the Commander was looking at Ace with knowing eyes.

"No." Ran said with a smile, placing the orange thing on her head. It clashed with her shirt horribly, the Commander thought. "Let's go." Izo laughed, following the girl.

**That's all from me, folks! Hope you had fun!**

**Onto the review:**

**anniewanny2: I'm glad that you enjoy all the different relationships! I try to show that they are not 2D characters, they have people that they interact with in different ways, and sometimes it's hard to portray that, but I do my best :D **

**Oh trust me, Sita is going to be rather important later on, and she will meet Ace… dun dun dun…. However, Sita was originally made as an OCxLaw pairing, I am debating whether to write said story, or not…**

**I was actually going to write the whole scene in the end, but then I had this idea of giving you guys unexpected bits and pieces as Ace's memory… I hope it was ok :D**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	21. Demons & Human

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**Koshuu, welcome to the family! Thanks for the alert and fav :)**

**I have seen a lot of views, a lot of really silent readers, and I like that you are reading, but I want to hear your thoughts people! Come talk to me in the reviews! :D**

**This chapter was a rather hard one to write… It's pretty dark, I suppose, focusing a bit more on Jade and Leo. I felt like I needed to show just how deep their characters are, as they are all 3D**

**Do you guys have a chapter that you liked? Something that you would like to see more of? Anything?**

**ATTENTION! I am not a doctor, nor am I 'good' with any medical procedures. All the medical stuff in my fics is purely from Wikipedia or my own experience.**

**Chapter 21: Demons – Imagine Dragons & Human – Christina Perri**

Ran was never a girly girl. Sure, she liked to look good as much as the next person, but she was never obsessed with clothes or shopping. Maybe that came from her childhood on Arcadia. She had grown up listening about how fashion was for nobles. All the beautiful, colorful designs were meant for the higher classes, while from Third level on, the people had to dress less distinctly. While the upper class wore bright red, yellow and orange, soft blues and deep greens, the working class was used to dull brown, black and white that quickly became gray. When the commoners got to wear something colorful it was either for a party or for a big celebration.

True, Ran's mother was an artist. Currently, she worked on the bright red material that was used to create decorative umbrellas, tents, wings for some gliders and sometimes tube parts of the AGT mechanisms. She used to design a lot when Ran was little. Anything from clothes, glider patterns to houses. However, it was all for the upper class. Ran was used to seeing pretty dresses, watching them appear from bare materials, yet she was never one to wear them. They would all be shipped to the beautiful princesses up in the First and Second level. The women that deserved to wear them.

Her mother would sometimes sneak the leftovers of some materials and piece together clothes for her little girl. They weren't all that glamorous, but they were hers. She had a few dresses that her mother had made like that. They were precious. Yet, she had left them behind, just like she had left her mother behind.

Maybe it was because Ran had always been obsessed with the skies. She used to stare out her roof window, and then, when she got older, she used to sit on the gold colored metal of the roof and feel the winds. Once, she had climbed the highest point in their level, a large clock tower and stayed there for hours. In the end, the soldiers had found her, but they couldn't find their way to the top, where the small child had been sitting, enjoying the wind. The little Ran had jumped, riding on a current with no glider, shocking all the bystanders. That is when her uncle had gotten her her first prototype of a glider.

Somehow, while building AGT and jumping from island to island, looking for adventure, Ran had left behind the little princess that she could've become. She preferred to take Shrimp's and Bohai's hand-me-downs, along with their books and tools. Besides, getting a new dress was pointless, seeing as she would stain it quickly.

So, knowing Izo, it was like magic to her. The man was dazzling, prettier than any noblewoman that she had seen. His taste in fashion was amazing, and his acceptance of her ways even more so. The Commander understood her preferences. He had realized that she hadn't grown up like he did, learning how to become beautiful. Instead, he had tried to give her a makeover one too many times, without even one bit of pity in his eyes. Ran had refused, not really believing in possession of material things. However, she did enjoy the occasional shopping spree the man led her on. Like today.

Let's face it, shopping with Izo was like a very competitive sport. At times, you had to grit your teeth and get through it and at times, you laughed like a maniac on a high. Sometimes, you needed to take one for the team and tell the man that the clothes did not suit. Then, from time to time, he would score the winning shot, making you look absolutely breathtaking. Most of the time that was the case. The man simply had a knack for matching clothes with people. He also had skills with hair and makeup. So, Ran liked the time they spent playing the game.

"Let's go in here!" The pink Commander pulled on her hand, tugging her into the clothing store. They weren't really on a shopping trip, but with Izo, it somehow always came down to that. At least window shopping, he would beg. After all, he had to be up to date on the latest fashion. If he wasn't, he tended to get miserable. And a miserable Izo was worse than a bored Thatch.

Ran allowed the man to get her inside. Heck, she even tried on a few things, mostly shirts and accessories. Izo was well aware that the pilot liked shorts as bottoms. It was important to have a lot of room for leg movement to fly a glider, after all.

"I like this one." The girl participated in the selection process. She accepted the loose top and changed in plain view.

"That's not very proper." Izo frowned at her. Ran shrugged. She did a small turn, giving him a full view of the shirt that came to her belly button. He smiled. "Looks good to me."

"Me too." Ran agreed. "Next store?" Izo smirked.

"You read my mind, love." The pilot changed back into her old clothes and followed the Commander out of the store, not buying anything. She pushed Ace's hat back on her head. Ran had decided that she liked that hat. Maybe she should get one for herself. Then again, maybe she should just keep Ace's. Ran giggled at the idea. He had looked hot with his hair tied back. Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach and a blush rose to her face. "Thinking about last night?" Izo was very observant.

"Nope." Ran popped the 'p', grinning at the Commander. "Thinking about this morning." She clarified. Izo's smirk widened, almost like a cat's.

"How was he?" The cross dresser almost waggled his eyebrows. He wanted to know. He needed to know. His friend, the little Migratory Bird, was getting attached to his brother. He had seen it, maybe even before they had.

Ran laughed. "We didn't do it, silly." The look she got from the Commander was indescribable. "Seriously, we didn't."

"Why? Did he do something wrong?" Izo frowned. Ran shook her head. She was surprised to feel her hair brushing her shoulders. Right, Ace hadn't allowed her to pull it up and she had humored him. "Then why not? Was he- you know?" Izo motioned with his hand like it was going limp. Ran snorted, bursting into a laugh.

"Oh, Storm Thief, no! He was fine in that department, trust me, honey." The girl pushed through her chuckling. "He was all great. It was all great." Izo nodded, waiting eagerly for her to continue. "Until narcolepsy struck!" She raised her hands, shrugging. They both burst into laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Izo laughed. "Talk about timing!" He wheezed. Ran wiped a stray tear away.

"I know!" She chuckled. "But, I didn't mind anything that happened until then." Izo hummed, coercing her to continue. "I mean, everything I told him to do, he did. It was… exhilarating." Ran shivered at the thought. Izo bit into his kiseru gently. It wasn't lit. It was merely there as a habit.

"You like them to obey, eh?" He didn't look at her when he spoke. His eyes were focused on one clothing window after another, taking in information. He was smirking knowingly.

Ran hummed. "Only him." Her eyes were twinkling. "He looks adorable blushing under me." Izo laughed again. He shook his head.

"You are one strange woman, Ran." The Commander told her. "Very strange." The pilot had a skip in her step suddenly.

"I know." She nodded. "I need to write to someone, too. Tell them all about my strange ways." She giggled, grabbing Izo's hand. "We're here." She pulled him to the hotel.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace couldn't believe that one woman could make him feel like that. He had flown through his daily duties as if he were on a cloud. He had heard all the cheesy stories, about how the right one made you all insane in the head. Ace wouldn't believe that. There was no right one for him. He, after all, wasn't supposed to be born. He wasn't supposed to exist. Clearly, Ran was.

And he needed to stay away. But, he couldn't. She was addicting. Like the sea. She was wild, untamed, always leaving, never staying for long. She was his own personal drug, and last night he had faced that. He had realized that it wasn't only about lust. That iron wall had slammed into his face like a ton of bricks. She had told him to do things. Harder. Faster. Move that. Touch here. Bite there. Tie me up. And he, he had done it all, without even thinking about it. He had just wanted her to feel good. He had wanted her to accept him. He had wanted her to be satisfied. He had wanted her to need him.

"Missing something?" Leo's voice caught Ace's attention. The blonde walked over to the pirate and handed him his belt. Ace nodded absent mindedly and put it in its place automatically. The raven resumed his mopping in a zombie-like state. Leo watched the pirate clean the floor for a while. He saw the expressions cross the teen's face as he worked. Something was wrong, and the blonde had no idea what. "Want to get some lunch?" Leo asked.

Ace kept mopping the floor. His former mentor leaned on the wall and observed. He could see the hickeys on the man's neck and shoulders. And the scratch marks on his back. The raven probably had no idea. Leo chuckled at the thought, but didn't try to interrupt the man. He could see the emptiness in his brother's eyes. The kind of emptiness that he, himself had felt. Ace was doubting his existence, and Leo knew it. He also knew that he needed to snap the young pirate out of it. No good ever came from living in the past.

"Ace!" Leo yelled, causing the raven to drop his mop. Little good was the thing doing him anyways. He had been cleaning the same spot.

"Leo?" The raven asked, dazed. "What's wrong?" He didn't bend to pick up the wooden object. He just stood there, looking lost. Like a small kid. Leo gave him a gentle smile and walked over. He picked up the mop and splashed it into the bucket. The blonde pushed the thing to the wall and adjusted it there, so it stood on its own.

"Let's go get some lunch, brother." The blonde addressed him unusually. The raven needed it. The younger pirate nodded and followed his brother towards the cafeteria.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco had gathered his courage. He had mused over the many possibilities of why doc had accused Penny, and he couldn't come up with a good theory. Izo had also told him about the dark woman's sleeping problem. He had made Marco swear something about Thatch, too, the blonde wasn't really listening. So, after finishing his chores, he had gathered his balls and prepared himself to face the music. Or flying objects. She tended to do that whenever someone confronted her.

He rapped his knuckles against the wooden door gently. "Go away!" Doc yelled from inside. Marco frowned. She sounded tired. He would chance it. Either she would let him take care of her or she would throw him out.

The first mate pushed the door open, slowly, poking his head through first. He didn't see what he expected to see. Doc was on the bed, her lab coat surprisingly off. She had her eyes closed, and Marco noticed the arm right away. She had a belt tied to it, and a syringe in her other. The Commander slammed the door and ran forward.

"Jade! Jade, yoi! What did you do?!" Marco ripped the syringe away from her and tried to determine the contents. He wasn't sure what it was. Doc's breathing was slow, almost none. "Jade!" He took her shoulders and started shaking the woman.

"Leggo…" She murmured, her eyes opening slightly. Her gaze was unfocused, sleepy. Marco was aware of pulling her to him, cradling her body against his.

"What did you do, Jade?" He murmured. "Stay awake, yoi. Tell me what you did!" The phoenix was adamant. He was panicking, though. He was pretty sure that he was panicking. But when he saw doc on the bed, limp, all he could see in his mind was her still forever. Jade dead. "Jade!" He yelled out, shaking her a bit more. She looked up at the blonde, focusing on his eyes. Her hand flew to his cheek and doc stroked the skin there softly. She smiled up at him, purely. It was strange to see that kind of expression on her face. It had been so long since he'd seen it.

"Your eyes are pretty." She sighed. Marco chuckled at the words. She was high. She had gotten herself high. That idiot.

"What did you take, Jade, yoi? Tell me!" The phoenix shook her again, but she just giggled at him. He sighed. Obviously, she had taken something to take the edge off. He had noticed her sleepless nights even without Izo telling him. He could feel his own heart slowing down to normal. The blonde tried to lay the woman back down, to investigate the syringe further, but she didn't let him. She grabbed his arms which were around her, not allowing him to move away.

"Don't go…" She mumbled. Marco saw the tears in the corners of her eyes. "Don't go…" She looked so small, miserable. The phoenix stroked her head gently and adjusted them on the bed. He lay on the pillow, almost sitting up, and pulled the dark woman to him, allowing her to settle the way she wanted.

"I'm right here, Jade, yoi. Now, you need to tell me what you took." He kept going through her hair with his fingers, it seemed to be calming her. Jade giggled once more and rolled over. Her limbs were a bit numb, but she somehow climbed on top of the phoenix. He was just about ready to get her off of him when she hugged him, almost like a monkey. Her short skirt rode up and Marco caught a glimpse of her red underwear. He sighed. She was going to kill him when she came off her high.

"I just fixed my head, stuuuupid~" The dark woman giggled, voice deep, breath fanning his ear. Marco shivered and tried to pull away slightly. He needed her to be aware for something like this. "Look at the butterfly!" Jade let him go suddenly and jumped off the bed. Marco could barely react before doc started chasing the imaginary butterfly. There was a grin on her face. A wide, childish, pure one. It was so beautiful on her face. She wasn't furrowing her brows at all. "Oh! Marco! Look! Isn't this beautiful?" The phoenix noticed her rummaging through the garbage bin, but figured that it was safe. What could be there anyways, paper? Teabags? But, when Jade's hands came up he jumped from the bed and almost flew to her.

"Don't you like them?" Doc showed the man her hands, cradling something in them, her face childishly sad at his anxious expression. Marco saw the broken glass in her palms. It was biting into her skin, scarlet blood pouring from her wounds. The phoenix gently put his own hands beneath hers. "Aren't they beautiful?" He couldn't see any sign of discomfort on her face. She was grinning brightly at him without showing any pain. He gently caressed the unbroken skin.

"They are beautiful, yoi. Very much so. Now, why don't you put them back down, yoi?" He noticed the frown forming on her face. "We can see those later. Now, I want you to come with me, yoi." Marco soothed, as if talking to small child. Doc giggled.

"You think I'm stupid?!" She shrieked and then laughed humorlessly. Her hands didn't let go of the glass shards. They slowly closed around them, preparing to squeeze. Marco reacted in a flash, catching her fingers. He flipped her palms around, watching the, now red, shards go back down into the bin. He shamelessly reinforced his hands with Haki when doc started to struggle. She was strong, yes, but as high as she was flying, concentration wasn't coming naturally.

"You're not stupid, Jade." The phoenix threaded lightly. "But I need you to come with me, now. I need your help, yoi." He made the woman get up, not letting go of her hands. He could see some more glass, embedded in her palms. Surprisingly, doc allowed the blonde to lead her to the bed and make her sit. He forced himself to ignore the short skirt that had ridden up. He left her there for a second and grabbed tweezers and some cotton and alcohol from the drawer. He knew very well where it was. He often helped out in the medical wing after battles, as he rarely got injured.

The Commander was ecstatic to see that doc hadn't moved. She was watching him, carefully, almost like a hawk. Her eyes seemed wary. Like she was ready to bolt at any moment. Marco gave her a smile, encouraging her not to run. His hands caught hers once more, gently. He extracted the leftover shards while she watched him. The dark woman never even flinched. The phoenix worked fast. He cleaned her wounds and placed some fresh gauze, wrapping the cuts. They weren't too deep, which was good. They would heal fast.

Marco's fingers caressed the skin of her palms, soothing her. He stayed in his crouching position in front of her, their eyes connected. The first mate was waiting for her to make a move. When she didn't, the phoenix moved forward, slowly getting up. "I can't sleep, Jade. I'm very tired, yoi." The pirate spoke, his tone soothing, never rising. She looked at him with curiosity. She looked like a small child, and he had her full attention. "Will you help me sleep? I need someone to hold me when I sleep, yoi."

Marco was hoping that this was going to work. Because, it was as embarrassing as hell. Besides, with the dark woman flying as high as a kite, you never knew when you were going to slip off the edge and into the fiery inferno. He didn't doubt that one wrong word would get him the beating of a lifetime. She was a merciless fighter. She knew how to punch where it hurt due to her medical knowledge.

"Do you have bad dreams, too?" Doc asked him, looking at her hands. She seemed ashamed of the fact that her demons followed her into her sleep. She was one proud woman, Marco would give her that. It was probably why he was so intrigued by her.

"I do, yoi." The phoenix replied, settling himself next to her. Doc moved immediately, gluing herself to his side, arms around his middle.

"Hugs help." She told him. Obviously, she had regressed in her high. Marco nodded, knowing that she could feel the movement, as his cheek was on her head.

"Why don't we lay down, yoi?" The first mate skillfully maneuvered them into a semi-proper position on the bed with the doc still clinging to him like he was a lifeline. Marco's hand moved up and down her back, coaxing her into sleep. "Why don't we get some shuteye, yoi?" The woman raised her head, obviously ready to protest. "Just a little." The phoenix clarified quickly. "I need you to help me sleep, yoi. I can't keep the demons away on my own." She settled back down and gave a tiny nod into his chest and pretty soon, her breathing evened out. Marco sighed and pulled some covers over them. He wished that he had brought some paperwork to go over while she slept. Knowing doc, she had gone a week or two without sleep, so they would be here for a while. He didn't mind, though. Seeing her peaceful face was enough for him to attempt to stay there for a few days without moving.

~~~~pb~~~~

Leo led Ace into the cafeteria and they made some small talk while waiting for their food. The raven looked better, now that he wasn't left alone with his thoughts. The blonde nodded to himself mentally. He had made a good call.

"We sitting here again?" The elder pirate asked, pointing to Ace's usual spot. The raven nodded eagerly and carried his mountain of food expertly. It always managed to amuse Leo. They settled down and started eating. Leo watched his friend carefully, barely participating in the conversation. Ace dozed off a couple of times, head hitting his plate. It was considered normal by now. Leo had noticed that the raven tended to fall asleep during his meals more than during daily activities. It was peculiar.

"Hey, you listening?" Ace caught Leo's attention.

"Forgive me. Could you repeat that?" The blonde said politely. He took his teacup from his tray and carefully set it up. It was one of those old ones, the ones he really liked. They didn't use teabags, but tealeaves in a metal net of sorts. This one had a lid, too. Leo smiled to himself at the pleasant scent of mint tea. It was soothing.

"I said, have you seen the Zodiac article in the newspaper?" Ace's face was lit up with excitement. Leo shook his head. The blonde took off the lid from his teacup and removed the net with the leaves. He tossed in a few spoons of sugar and mixed the hot liquid. Today was a good day, Leo decided. "Apparently, they offed someone important." Ace laughed. "The Tenryuubito are pissed!"

Leo shook his head once again. "They aren't heroes, Ace." The raven snorted.

"In my book they are." He explained. "They don't pick sides. They don't discriminate against their clients. They aren't afraid to go against the Tenryuubito even. I don't see-"

"It all looks great from that point of view. But, after you take into consideration that they buy children from slavers and torture them into their perfect assassin molds along with the fact that they think that they are above the law, their status as heroes kind of fails in my eyes." The blonde shot back without looking up from his tea. He slowly stirred it.

"That's the downside. But, on the upside, if you pay them, you can trust them, no?" The raven asked. "I mean, they are pretty good allies to have, right?" The young pirate argued his point.

"True, but I still don't like them." Leo sipped his tea. "You've never met a Zodiac, have you?" The blonde asked.

"No." The raven frowned. "Have you?" His face lit up. Leo nodded. "Ooooh! Tell me!"

"Tell you what?" Ran plopped down next to Ace, putting her plate on the table. Leo nodded to her from across the table and she flashed him a smile. Ace turned to her grinning wide.

"Leo met a Zodiac!" The young pirate explained, excited. "He was just about to tell me all about it." The raven turned to Leo then. "Right?" His grin was positively blinding. Ran laughed, about to start talking when the blonde cut her off.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." The blonde's voice was icy. Ace's smile fell from his face slowly. Ran focused on Leo. "I met a Zodiac in my life. And let me tell you something, no matter how good and how clean they seem, they are merciless monsters." He gripped his teacup so hard it cracked. "I hate them. I hate them all." Ace could see the pure rage in the pirate's eyes. He wondered where that came from. He had never thought Leo capable of such anger. The blonde was always easygoing, nice and greeting everyone with a gentle smile. This rage didn't suit him somehow.

"Surely they aren't that bad, Leo, sweetie." Ran tried to calm the blonde down. He slammed his palms onto the table getting up.

"You don't understand anything!" He yelled and the whole cafeteria quieted suddenly. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next move. "I'm sorry." Leo murmured quietly. He grabbed his cracked teacup and left quickly, head down. The conversation picked up again, the crew minding their own business.

"That was-" Ran began, slowly sitting back down. She had gotten up after Leo had.

"Totally unexpected." Ace finished, his eyes still wide from shock. They sat for a moment in silence. Ran pushed her food around her plate, not really feeling like eating now. "I never knew." Ace said, looking down to his lap.

"Knew what?" The pilot asked. Her voice was flat. Her day had gone from great to miserable in seconds. Ace grabbed some meat from her plate, stuffing it into his mouth. She complained poking said hand with her fork. She started eating.

"I had no idea that he was this angry." Ace spoke after swallowing. "All that hatred. He never shows it, you know." He paused for a bit. "I'm so selfish." He finished. Ran put the fork down and turned to him. She watched the pirate for a second, taking in his miserable face.

"We all are." The pilot spoke. "I'm very selfish." The girl looked to her plate. "I fly away and I don't look back." She gave a sad smile. "I can't help it. I need to answer the call of the sea and the howling of the wind."

"But, I call Leo my friend. My brother! I should've noticed!" Ace turned to Ran completely, his hands flying to her shoulders. He looked so desperate. Ran placed her own hands on his, her fingers soothing the unusually warm skin.

"Some people are good at bottling things up inside. They keep their emptions secret." Ace's hands slipped to her elbows and she reached for his face, moving his hair behind his ears in an intimate gesture. "You aren't like that. I'm not like that. Leo, he obviously is."

"That's just an excuse." Ace sighed. Ran's arms came around his neck gently, pulling the pirate in for a hug. "But that's an excuse that I can accept." The raven nodded into her neck. He pulled back, giving her a smile. Ran grinned back and ruffled his hair. He brushed her off, pulling away. "Don't do that! I'm not a kid!" He childishly complained.

Ran laughed. "What are you? Eighteen?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"Good guess." He grinned. "I'm going to be nineteen soon, though!" Ran giggled at his strange source of happiness.

"When is your birthday?" The pilot caught the strange expression that passed Ace's face. It was a split second, though.

"January. The first of January." His usual lopsided grin was back in place. Ran took in his posture, noticing all the things that Izo usually pointed out to her. The pirate was relaxed. "When's yours?" He didn't let her answer, though. "I can't believe I never asked you that!" The raven exclaimed.

"I'm going to be twenty soon. On May tenth to be exact." Ran laughed at Ace's antics. He seemed hyper for some reason.

"You're older than me?" The raven pouted.

"Awwwe! Did I burst your bubble, love?" Ran didn't notice the way Ace flinched at the pet name. She had picked up the habit from her mother, and Izo fueled it with his own, very similar habit. The pilot got up and took her plate with her.

"Pssshhh! You give yourself too much credit, M woman." Ace laughed, following her with his own pile of dishes.

The pilot threw a look over her shoulder t him. "You would know, my little S."

~~~~pb~~~~

It was after Ran left to find Izo that Ace searched for Leo again. He thought that giving the older pirate some time to cool off would be good. It was strange, going around and asking about Leo's whereabouts. Usually, the blonde would find him somehow. True, Ace tended to end up on duty with the man, but it was always Leo who found him. The blonde had done every single thing that he could think of to make Ace feel like one of the brothers. As comfortable as possible on the new ship. Not that the Moby Dick was new to the raven any more. Just last week, Pops had recruited some pirates. Now, Leo was a mentor to the newer members of the Second division. It was strange to Ace, being a senior to someone on the crew.

So, the raven wandered around the huge ship, occasionally asking about the blonde division member. At some point, he learned that Leo had gone to finish Ace's chores. The raven laughed. That was typical Leo. If you thought that the flaming chicken had OCD issues, you should see Leo or doc. The raven was ready to bet that the two got along so well because they had similar patterns. Leo couldn't stand leaving a thing unfinished. It didn't matter what was the task. He had to eat everything on his plate, drink all of his tea, clean the whole room or mop the whole floor. Ace had accepted the man's strange habits fairly easily, as Leo had accommodated his own.

Sure enough, the young pirate found his former mentor mopping one of the long hallways of the ship. Ace grabbed a mop for himself and dunked it into the bucket. He spread the soapy water on the planks and started scrubbing the dirt. After a while, Leo sighed and paused in his work. Ace could feel the other pirate looking at him, but he didn't react.

"I'm sorry." The blonde seemed calm now. "I shouldn't have burst like that. I'm usually good at keeping it in."

"I'm not." The raven shot back, not pausing in his work. "And you still tolerate me. I don't see a problem, scarecrow." The young pirate explained. Leo smiled softly, sadly, looking at Ace's back as he worked. He took a deep breath.

"Want to hear a story?" Ace raised an eyebrow at Leo, but the blonde evaded eye contact.

"Sure." The raven answered. "Unless it's a crazy sex experience or something." He added quickly. Leo chuckled.

"It's not, don't worry." The blonde dipped his mop into the already dirty water and kept scrubbing. "It's a story from a long time ago, in a country far away. There was a king who loved women." Ace frowned, pausing in his work. "He just couldn't help himself." Leo shrugged. "One wife wasn't enough. Two, not even close." The blonde shook his head. "He made himself a harem, to satisfy his needs. Any woman could become a part of it, willing or not. The king was ruthless." Leo took another deep breath and stopped mopping. "The woman that this story is about, she was a princess from a neighboring kingdom, given to the king as a treaty wife. Sure, she was beautiful, so the king liked her. Made her a part of his harem. One of the many wives. She never loved him, though, like the other women in the harem did in the end. They all broke in the end. The woman, she loved a wanderer, someone who didn't have a home. He came and went, nameless, like a shadow."

"Why didn't he rescue her?" Ace asked. He, too, had stopped working.

"He couldn't. He was never ordered to. He was but a soldier, a pawn in the bigger game." Leo smiled slightly at Ace. "So, when the woman became pregnant, naturally, the king assumed that it was his child, as he didn't know about his wife's forbidden love. The woman gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and started raising him as a prince." Leo made another short pause. "But, a secret can only stay a secret for so long. The king soon saw the lack of resemblance and became suspicious. He tortured the woman, his wife, and she admitted that she had been unfaithful. The king hired the most skilled of the assassins to kill the small boy."

Leo took a shaky breath. Ace nodded, encouraging him to continue. "I still remember my nanny leading me away from my rooms through the hidden servant's passages. I remember him catching up, appearing from the shadows. He didn't only come after me. He killed everything in his path. My nanny, the woman who had been like a second mother to me, she had screamed and screamed, begging for him not to kill me. I remember his eyes. They were red, like the blood that was running down his face. I remember his grin. He was enjoying every single sick second of it." Leo sighed again.

"The man who wandered, the one who came to the king's wife from the shadows, he appeared then, saving the boy. He had taken his mother from the dungeons, too, and he took them both to the port, to save their lives. The woman didn't make off the dock. She died in the boys arms. In her last moments, she made the little boy, the false prince, take on an alias as his name. She told him that his father's name would protect him. The man from the shadows went to fight the assassin, leaving the boy to his own devices. He got onto a merchant's ship as a stowaway and never looked back."

There was silence for a moment. Leo was lost in his memories and Ace was trying to process all the information that the blonde had given him. He doubted that his former mentor had realized that in the middle of the story, he had gone from third person to first person perspective.

Maybe Ace got it. Perhaps. He had known, from way back, that he wasn't the only person that had 'daddy issues'. When he was younger, he had thought that he was the only one. That he had it the worst. That no one would understand. Meeting Sabo and Luffy had a calming effect on that rage. On that desperation of his. Sabo hadn't had it easy. Luffy, too. True, their background didn't fit Ace's mold, at least he couldn't see the parallel back then, but he could see the pain. Ace could tell, from eyes. There was just that look that one had. When they had been seen as an outcast. As something unwanted. Unneeded. He could see that pain. He could recognize it.

And, while looking at his brothers, he realized how silly he had been. How stupid. They had it bad, too. They carried pain that no child should carry, yet they had calmed their rage. It was then when Ace started working on reining his own inner storm of anger.

And now, seeing Leo like his, all broken, he could tell. Leo was just the same. He was an outcast, judged on his parent's sins. So similar. So, Ace said the words that he himself wanted so desperately to hear.

"It doesn't matter."

**That's all ladies and gents!**

**I hope you had fun :D**

**Onto the reviews!**

**insanity122: Ending? Last chapter? I thought it was a pretty alright ending . Italiana was the real cliffie :D**

**TheLightFairyHearts: Thank you very much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, too :)**

**XxFire-PhoenixxX: Hmmm Penny? Naaah, she isn't a traitor… Marco cleared her. Now he needs to find out why Jade told him that Penny was suspicious? Hm hm hmmmmm Maybe doc is the traitor? Heheheee~**

**Oh Gods, MarcoxJade was a very unplanned pairing xD But I like it, so I'm going along with it… Hope you liked them in this chapter, too :)**

**Otaku-chan: That's alright, love. The chapter was for you, review or no review :D You asked for some AcexRan steam hihihihi~ Teachers can be asses sometimes. I've had some bad, and then some good experiences with various teachers. All I can say is: Hang in there!**

**I ship Law and Sita soooo much xD She pisses him off soooo much heheheee~ I'm re-watching the new episodes, so I might get into my writing mode :3 However, since that story starts somewhere around Ace's capture, a little before, in fact, I want to get this story to that point first… So… yeah… I'm not going to put SitaxLaw in here a lot, this is a story about Ace, and it's going to stay that way. Some JadexMarco is expected, but only as a side thing. Ran and Ace are my main characters here :D If I do write LawxSita, it will be rated M all the way xD**

**The twins were in my game plan from the beginning, and they came out so adorable, I agreeeee :D I mean, they can be quite terrifying, but also fricking tsundere!**

**RanxSita or AcexSita? Hmmmm how about AcexRanxSita? Hahahahahahaaaa! I'm so evil xD Oh Gods… now I want to write that… Hahahahahahaaa xD **

**Actually, I really dislike the whole LawxOCxAce triangle.. In fact, I don't like triangles at all! That's why I'm not putting a serious love triangle in the story… It quickly becomes an n-angled picture with many variables… **

**I prefer the nighttime myself. I study, draw and write at night most of the time :P**

**Ace and Ran waking up… I was a bit torn, but decided to make it that way. I mean, they are attracted to each other, and have admitted that, but they still aren't in love or anything. It's more of a casual hookup. They like each other as friends and they feel comfortable enough with each other to act on the attraction between them. Still, Ace is beating himself up a bit xD But, I figured that they need some special moments, such as that wake-up scene :)**

**Izo. I don't think that he is a taikomochi (male geisha) or a cross-dresser. I believe that he was made based on the yaro-kabuki (young man kabuki). He fits my impression of a onnagata, or a male playing a female role in the all-male show (that's around 1629-1673 for the kabuki scene, as female shows were banned)**

**I'm not sure if you're into stuff like Shugo Chara, but there is a character named Nagihiko, or Nadeshiko, if you will, who reminds me a lot of Izo. I guess all of my 'assumptions' about Izo come from Nagihiko, as he appeared before the Commander :3**

**I hope you enjoyed, Otaku-chan :D**

**Wren: I was just about to post this chapter when your review came in xD**

**I'm glad that you enjoyed the fluff :D I couldn't help myself! I know that some stories just go on and on and ooooon with no steamy bits… I ask myself then, what are you people? Hermits? Go and get some action! Sex is a completely normal thing…**

**Thanks for the compliments! This story started as a joke, so I'm glad that it became a bit more on the serious side… I tend to watch TV shows and write, so I hope that I'm doing alright xD Law and Order is pretty distracting :P My other story, the Naruto one, is much more serious than my OP stuff. Like the language and everything, it's just much more proper and less sarcastic, as there I'm writing about Gaara xD Can't really joke about him hhahahahaha Here, I'm much more at ease, so I write much faster :)**

**I like how all the romance has played out… Marco and Jade weren't planned xD They developed hahahaha I think that he is much more aware of his feelings than she is… Marco is older than her, too, quite a bit… I like how they complete each other somehow :D **

**I love the contrast between RanxAce and JadexMarco; about LawxSita, Otaku asked me about that, too, it's right up there ^ I think I need to reach some point with this fic before starting that one. Because I don't want to put any RanxAce spoilers in that one xD **

**I'm glad that you are feeling better :D (I actually screwed up my exams royally hahahhaha maybe that's why this chapter is so dark? xD)**


	22. U and Ur Hand

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**I would like to say thanks to SymmetricalMusic for the alert! Hope you like the story :D**

**So, I would like to rant a bit:**

**Izo's sexual orientation in this fic: I believe that he is a pansexual, but leans a bit more towards homosexuality. I hope that this doesn't offend any of you (seriously, my fic is full of all kinds of sexualities). So yeah… I lean towards ThatchxIzo, as you can hopefully see xD **

**Timeline: The 21****st**** and 22****nd**** chapters are about the same day. As in, Ran arrives on Grandia (day one) meets up with Ace and goes to the party, and the next day (day two) is all about the party aftermath, Ace and Ran, a little bit of Izo and Ran, then we have Marco and Jade and then we have this whole chapter, where Ace gets his glider, too.**

**MarcoxJade: This was a very unexpected pairing for me… I had no idea that they were going to come together like this… Anyways, I like their romance… It's a very old school dance kind of romance, I really like it :D However, I did take a bit of a risk in chapter 21 with her character… I hope it let to you guys understanding Jade a bit more. What did you guys think about her insomnia?**

**Commanders: I'm really comfortable with writing Thatch, Marco and Izo, as you can see, so I tend to stay in my safe-zone. Here, I did go a bit outside, I hope you liked it :D**

**Ok, I'm done now xD**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 22: U + Ur Hand – P!nk**

"Are you sure that's alright?" Ran asked for the fourth time while packing quickly. Izo had won in the end. They had bought a ton of stuff on Grandia and brought it to the Commander's room.

"Yes! Ask me that again and I will throw you overboard!" Ace shot back from his position on the cross-dresser's bed. Izo will never know that the raven was on his silk sheets. Ever. The young pirate let his head fall back down on the mattress with a groan. "Just let me help you out sometime, crazy woman!"

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Now Ran's voice rose and she started stuffing her clothes into the bags with more force. Izo had made her try everything on once more in his room. He had also put on his new clothes and paraded in front of his huge mirror. It had been quite a sight.

"I didn't say you couldn't." Ace sighed, his palm pressing to his eyes and forehead. Women were full of landmines. He stood up and crossed the room. It was red and pink, full of scented candles and expensive materials. Izo had a huge wardrobe, much like one that Ace and Thatch had sold, that had a mirror on the door and half open drawers with kimono's and obi's hanging everywhere. No doubt, to women, it was beautiful.

Ran snorted, pushing one of the short kimonos that Izo had advised her to buy into the bag. The man was insane. She had no idea what to do with all this stuff. Ace's arms came around her and caught her wrists. "Ace." Ran warned, but he didn't listen. The pirate pulled her up, making her drop an obi onto her bag. He spun her around, trapping her against his chest. Ran looked up to scold him only to see the ridiculous face that Ace was making. His tongue was out, eyes crossed and his eyebrows were making a funny shape. Ran burst into laughter and the pirate relaxed his face, a lopsided grin making its way back onto his features.

"I know that you can take care of yourself." He bent slightly down, still grinning. "I can only imagine how well you do that." The raven enjoyed the way she shivered when his breath fanned her face. Ran smiled at the implication of his words.

"I can show you how sometime." Ran angled her lips just right, barely brushing his when she spoke. "Maybe you'll learn something new." She felt his hold on her wrists relax. "Maybe you just need some practice, you know." Ace's eyes were dead on hers, trapping her. His grip was even more lax. She slowly worked her fingers on his, lacing them. "Perhaps spending a lot of time with a crew has made you soft." Ace had no idea if she was talking about pleasure or piracy anymore. It didn't matter though. Because all he could think about right now was getting Ran onto Izo's bed. For once, he wasn't worried about what the Commander would do to him if he did what he wanted to the woman on his bed. His mental fantasy was broken quite forcefully when Ran's fingers vanished and she grabbed his right arm in a second. She spun around him, kicking his knees forward. Ace found himself staring at Izo's lush carpet, Ran holding his arm locked behind his back.

"I can take care of myself, Ace." Her breath fanned his ear. He shuddered. Ran felt the goose bumps rise on his arm. She got brave and let her tongue out of her mouth, gliding it along the raven's earlobe. He groaned. Damn teasing woman. Where had she learned those moves? Both the close combat and the sexual stuff. Time to teach her a lesson.

In a second, Ace moved, using his superior strength and skill to flip the girl over his shoulder and into his lap. Ran yelped, surprised by the sheer power that the man held. It was exhilarating. She looked up to him, now chuckling. The pirate let himself fall back onto the carpet from his current crouching position. He settled himself there, holding the laughing pilot in his arms.

"I've never done this before." Ace admitted. Ran gave him a confused look. The raven shrugged. "You know, been close with a friend like this." The pilot moved, her hands coming around the pirate's neck and her legs going to the either side of his hips. She settled on his lap and brushed his hair back. Ace's hands circled her waist gently. "I-"

"Shhhh." Ran brushed her thumb across the pirate's lips and followed through with her mouth. Ace opened his own mouth on contact, surprising the girl. The raven took control of the kiss, his tongue catching hers in a gentle, but heated, dance. Ran gasped into his mouth when he traced the right spot of her cavern. She could feel his temperature rise under her. She tugged on his hair, loving the groan he gave. The pilot pulled back, too soon in Ace's opinion, gently suckling on his tongue. She caught her breath against his lips, both of them enjoying the intimate way they shared air.

Ace was staring into her eyes. She could see the heat, the want. And the fear. Her tongue darted out once more, and the pirate got ready for another hot kiss, but she didn't enter his mouth. Ran traced his lower lip just barely, enjoying the way his eyes warned her not to tease. Her teeth caught the lip next, gently tugging, nipping and pulling. Ace groaned again, his eyes closing. Ran let the abused lip go and pressed a chaste kiss to it. "Don't question things." Ran murmured. "Don't have doubts." She pressed a chaste kiss onto his lips again. "Don't label our relationship." Kiss. "Just enjoy." Ace's eyes caught hers and his lips caught hers in a hot, open mouthed kiss. His hands went under her top, caressing, enjoying her shivers and the way she pushed her hips down on his.

"Sweethearts, I am team Ran and Ace all the way, but not on my beautiful carpet." Izo's voice broke the moment. Ace jumped, trying to get up, forgetting that Ran was on his lap. That caused them to both splay on the floor, in a very awkward, painful and compromising position. The pink Commander laughed, leaning against the door, pipe in hand.

"How long have you been standing there?" Ace groaned, finally untangling himself. Ran stayed on the ground, laughing. The pirate extended his hand to her, pulling her up.

"Long enough, honey, believe me. I could go and write an explicit novel with all the heat that came my way." Ran kept laughing. Ace didn't really see what was funny. It was embarrassing, that's what it was. The pilot calmed down and walked to her stuff, resuming her packing. Izo winked at Ace. The raven stepped behind Ran. The Commander laughed.

"Leave him alone, Izo." Ran shot without looking. She knew the Commander well enough. He loved to play. She didn't doubt that Ace had pissed the cross-dresser off quite a few times. Izo was not one to miss a chance to get back at him.

Izo pushed off the doorway. "Let me tell you something, pets." Ran looked up at the Commander from her crouching position over her bag. Ace was still behind her. "You hurt each other." He pointed at both of them with his forefinger. "I will kill you. Both. And then bring you back somehow." Ran snorted, trying to hold in her laughter. "What? I need my shopping buddy." Izo shrugged and walked to his closet. Ace looked between the two. He had a problem in his pants and he wasn't really looking forward to trying to interpret the weird relationship between the pilot and the Commander.

"I'm going to take a walk." The raven proclaimed and headed out. Ran gave him a small wave and Ace nodded. Izo was still smirking his cat-like smile. Ace smirked right back. Prank your ass off for the interruption, the smile said.

"And a cold shower." Izo shot after the raven.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times, bringing himself back to reality. He figured out that he was in the medical wing, in doc's office by the smell of tea and medical herbs. The phoenix quickly remembered the events from earlier that day. Jade had been high. He had ended up making her sleep. Thatch had entered the room, looking for doc's advice. The 4th division Commander had assessed the situation with a knowing smile and promised to come back later. Marco had managed to get the pompadour to fetch his paperwork. He had, then, fallen asleep going through reports with Jade comfortably clinging to his middle.

The first thing he noticed was the lack of weight and heat that the dark woman's body had provided a few hours back. Marco heard a soft clang to his left and he adjusted his position, looking for the source. Sure enough, there was doc, her coat back on, making tea on her burner. She was struggling with her injured hands, but she still made the action look impressively graceful. The phoenix watched her work for a while, not alerting her to the fact that he was awake. She put tealeaves into a net and then dunked them into a cup of steaming water. The dark woman bent down, taking in the soothing scent of tea. She smiled slightly. Marco grinned lazily. He didn't approve of her sleeping methods, but he had to admit that she looked better already.

"Feeling better, yoi?" The phoenix alerted her to his presence, slowly sitting up. He gathered the papers all around the bed and put them in a messy pile on the nightstand. He looked up to see doc frowning at the unorganized pile of reports.

"It never happened." The woman told him. Marco kept his lazy grin up. She obviously didn't remember a lot, but she did recall the incriminating bits and pieces.

"Whatever you say. But, you'll have to shut Thatch up, too, yoi." He saw the instant change on her face. The phoenix almost felt sorry for Thatch. Keyword: almost. The pompadour had pranked Marco one too many times.

"You let him in?!" Doc shrieked. Marco could feel her Haki rising. Volcano. And he was knee deep in it.

"I didn't really have time to lock the door, yoi." He shot back. "I was more worried about you having an unidentified syringe." Wrong move. The woman crossed the room in seconds and caught Marco's shirt collar. He was a bit taller than her while standing, but she was still as intimidating as hell.

"Because I have no idea what I'm usually doing, right?!" She fired at him. He felt the back of his knees hit the edge of doc's bed as she tugged his collar back and forth. "You think I just pass around drugs, left and right?!" Marco opened his mouth to explain, but doc cut him off. "Oh! Oooooh! You think I'm an addict? Is that it?" She spun another story. "Out! Get out! I have work to do!" She pulled him to the door, opened it and threw the Commander out. A couple of pirates that were heading down the hall stopped and enjoyed the show. Doc throwing people out of her office was like a favorite play of theirs. "And if you think that I have an 'issue'." She made sarcastic quotation marks with her fingers. "You can take it up with the Captain!" She slammed the door.

Marco sat on the floor for a while. He sighed and ran a hand though his hair. How did he always end up getting the fiery end of her temper? The snickering pirates walked by.

"Time of the month, Commander?" One of them teased.

The phoenix pushed himself to his feet, the bored expression settling in on his face. "Just another normal day, yoi." He walked towards the deck. He needed to let doc cool off. He could ask all about the 'traitor' thing later. She needed a clear head to answer him.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran found Ace after Izo and she packed. The pilot saw him sitting on the roof of the Captain's quarters, reading papers. She smiled, wondering if he knew why he liked sitting there. Both Izo and she agreed that Ace probably unconsciously wanted to be close to the Captain. She ran forward and swiftly jumped up, catching herself on the edge. Her arms easily pushed her up and she walked over to the frowning pirate. She picked up the hat from his head and slid the cord from under his chin. Ace turned around just in time to see Ran place the orange thing on her head. He was a bit surprised that she had left her hair down for so long. He preferred it that way, though. But, he kind of wanted her to keep the image of her with her hair down only to himself.

"Hey?" He wasn't sure why Ran was here. She had been packing to leave with Izo. They still hadn't left for some reason. Ace wasn't really tuned in to the whole 'rules and regulations' thing.

"Hey." The pilot smiled. She settled next to him, looking at the reports. "What are you doing?" She had ignored his questioning tone.

"Just some paperwork." He replied, looking at her cautiously. Ace found Ran rather unpredictable at times. It was exciting, yet scary. With most people he could tell the basics, except Luffy. Luffy was always an exception. Ran, when she got into these moods, when she looked kind of child-like, curious, she became just as unpredictable as Luffy. So, Ace watched her carefully as she inspected the papers. She looked to him and smiled.

"Is it important?"

"Y-yeah." The pirate slowly began gathering the paperwork. That smile promised trouble. For all he knew, she would toss it into the sea.

"Can it wait?" Ran's gloved hand came down onto one of the reports and Ace froze. No. He couldn't afford another paperwork mishap. The first time, he had forgotten to do it, so Marco had done it. The second, Thatch had conspired with him and they both ended up 'misplacing' their papers. Ace had burnt it. Then, he had figured out the 'act dumb and leave it all to the flaming chicken'. That meant that he would pretend that he had no idea what he should write and then bug Marco about it. After a while, the Commander had gotten pissed with Ace's tactics. It would be bad, real bad, if Ran got him thrown overboard to fetch his papers. He wouldn't put it past the phoenix to send him into the waves.

"Sure." He said carefully, gauging her reaction. Her, until then, closed lipped smile spread further, showing her teeth. The pilot picked up the report under her fingers and gave it to Ace. He accepted, letting out a breath of relief.

"Great!" Ran grabbed Ace's hand. "Come with me." Ace managed to put his Den Den Mushi on the stack of papers just in time before she pulled him after her. He didn't want the reports to be blown away. That would mean swimming. And, as mentioned before, swimming and Ace did not mix well.

Ran dragged Ace off the roof and onto the deck. She pulled the pirate all the way to the back of the quarters, where the Sparrow was. Ace noticed the new design right away. The wings were remodeled, allowing them to fold. He guessed that they were probably larger than before, too. It also had new golden patches and a paint job that nicely blended them into the machine. If he hadn't seen the glider before, he wouldn't have noticed the patches. The pirate looked at Ran, wondering why she had done all this new work on the bird.

The pilot let go of his hand, going to the machine. "The glider looks good." Ace complimented as Ran undid belts and chains on the bottom of the glider.

"Thanks." The pilot threw him a smile and then started undoing the wrapping on the cargo. Ace hadn't even noticed that. He moved forwards, curious.

"What's that?" The pirate crouched down next to her, waiting to see the contents. Ran undid the last clasp and smirked at Ace.

"Remember that drunken talk we had in the crow's nest when I was first here?" Her eyes were lit by that childish glee that he saw whenever she talked about flying.

"Which one?" Ace chuckled. They had shared quite a few nights in the crow's nest. Their conversations had a tendency to go haywire when they brought rum with them. Ran punched his shoulder playfully.

"Jerk." She insulted. "The one when we discussed that fantasy of yours?" Ace smirked. "Not like that, idiot. The whole 'boat propelled by Logia fire'?" She quoted with her fingers. Ace's eyes widened.

"You remembered that?" He couldn't believe that she had actually listened to him. He had dreamed about going out to the sea again. On his own. Just for a while, just for a certain adventure. Like Ran did with the Sparrow. Telling her about his crazy fantasy to fuel a boat with his powers, it had been a risk. He had been vulnerable. And she, Ran, had taken it all in.

The girl nodded and smiled at him. "Ta-da!" She pulled the cover off and Ace gasped. The boat was small, long, mostly made out of pale metal. It had a big motor at the end. It had no sails, no seats, just the body. He bent his head down, and sure enough, there was a medium sized rudder there. "Of course, we can edit it, paint it and all that. This is just my prototype." Ran got up and started rambling when he was silent for a while. She was pacing a bit, too. "We can add a seat, a place for a Pose, maybe a cargo space? It's like a sandbox at the moment. You need to try it out, and then see what to-"

"It's beautiful!" Ace interrupted her, jumping up and pulling her into a hug. Ran smiled into his shoulder. "It's amazing!" The raven picked her up and spun her around in his joy.

"Alright! No! Ace, let me down." Ran complained. He let her slip down to the floor, but didn't release her. He raised his eyebrow at her. "What?" Ran tilted her head, shoulders going up in a shrug. "That was one too many clichés for me, alright?" Ace threw his head back and laughed.

"I can accept that." He grinned one of his wide grins. "Time to try it out?" The girl nodded excitedly.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco followed the crowd to the railing. Some were yelling, some were snickering and most of them were betting. He looked around, trying to figure out the source of this evening's entertainment. He walked up to Namur.

"What did I miss, yoi?" The fishman simply pointed to the sea, a small grin on his face.

"Ace volunteered to be our entertainment." Marco followed the finger with his gaze and sure enough, he saw the young raven. The pirate was on some kind of a contraption, like a sail-less boat, attempting to balance both it and the fire in his feet. The vessel would jump forward and then slow down, causing the raven to wave his arms around comically. His face would go from intense concentration to 'oh shit'.

"Focus the fire! Keep the flame steady! It's not a glider, it's a boat! Keep your weight centered in your hips!" Ran was yelling from the railing, Ace's hat on her head. The phoenix was surprised to see her hair down. She usually had her favorite, albeit annoying, chopsticks holding it up.

"I know!" Ace yelled back from the waves. The boat became a bit steadier, going forward at a normal pace. "I think I got it!" He grinned, his arms finally not flailing. The crew booed or cheered, depending on who was winning or losing. Then, Ace got the 'oh shit' expression, his eyes popped and the small boat flew forward suddenly, flipping over. Marco laughed with the rest of the crew.

"Oi, he's a Devil Fruit user! Someone fetch him, yoi!" The Commander shook his head and walked away. He wanted to talk to Pops. He heard a splash behind him. Apparently, someone had gone to get the slowly sinking pirate.

~~~~pb~~~~

The phoenix found his Captain in his quarters talking with Rakuyo and Haruta. He nodded to the two Commanders.

"Fine day, son." Whitebeard greeted and Marco nodded.

"We expected a bit more trouble in Grandia." Haruta added. The phoenix noticed Rakuyo rubbing some leftover bandages from his latest trip off the Moby Dick. The Commander had taken a bit of a punch on his last adventure. Naturally, doc had patched him up good, and it would've been all healed by now, if the man had stayed still. But, Rakuyo was one of those people that take off their bandages because they are too restricting.

"The security is rather troublesome, yoi." Marco agreed. "But, we are the only big crew currently here. I doubt that there will be any problems, yoi."

The Captain took a couple of gulps from his sakazuki cup. "Grandia has always been hospitable to our crew." The man said. Haruta laughed.

"True. They've been very nice after Thatch and Jiru went berserk around the island." The 12th Commander kept chuckling.

"That was because of all that booze." Rakuyo smiled.

"Booze or not, it was priceless." Haruta was adamant. Whitebeard laughed his booming laugh.

"I'm just glad that no one got seriously hurt back then, yoi. Now, that would've been a mess." Marco smiled. "Having this sea's Navy on our case is enough. I wouldn't want heavy artillery from the skies, too, yoi." Marco sighed as the rest of them laughed.

Whitebeard took another chug from his cup and looked at it with a frown. He turned it around. Marco saw a single drop fall on the floorboards. "Sons." The Captain addressed the 12th and 7th Commander. "Would you mind sneaking some more sake in here? The nurses have it out for me! Gurarararara!"

"Of course, Pops." Rakuyo got up, motioning for Haruta to follow. "Leave it to us!" With that, the two Commanders left the room. Haruta was smiling at Marco, eyes alert, as the giant doors closed behind them. The Commanders were sharp. They knew they weren't wanted in the room, no matter how subtle their Captain had been.

"Any news, son?" The old pirate wasted no time getting to the point. Marco sighed and plopped down next to his Captain.

"Some." The phoenix ran a hand through his hair. "I have no idea what is going on anymore, yoi."

"Tell me." Whitebeard said. "I might be able to help you sort it out."

The phoenix wasn't really sure where to begin. It was all messed up his head. He trusted doc. A lot. He knew that she never pointed fingers without reason. True, she had been in a bad place, insomnia and all. But still, suspecting a family member of treason. That was a bit accusation. He understood why she went to him, and not the Captain. She hadn't been sure about Penny's actions. She trusted him to be aware of this information and investigate further. Marco had cleared up the situation, though. He knew, now, that Penelope was no mole. Why had doc given him that information?

"Jade is having trouble sleeping." Marco began. He gave a small pause, not really sure how to continue. Whitebeard stroked his moustache absent mindedly.

"Jade is a fine woman." He said. Marco nodded. "She feels a lot and keeps it inside." The phoenix chuckled. "Those volcanic outbursts are a front."

"I know, yoi." The first mate supplied. "She is a very fragile person."

Whitebeard nodded. "My little gentle daughter. She is stronger than you think, Marco." The Captain smiled at his first mate knowingly. He knew about Marco's not so subtle infatuation with the dark woman. "She sees all the people that died on her table." Marco sighed, his head dropping into his hands.

"Damn." He looked up. "I thought that it was something like that, yoi."

"And not only in her dreams, son." Whitebeard pointed out. "A little insomnia is normal. She needs someone to take care of her."

"She won't let anyone take care of her, yoi." Marco explained. Whitebeard gave him a knowing look. The Captain knew. He always knew. The first mate nodded, accepting. Jade trusted Marco enough to let him see her vulnerable. Even though she had thrown him out and yelled at him, he knew that deep inside, she had appreciated the gesture.

"Now, what about that mole, son?" Whitebeard changed the topic. Marco gave a small pause, thinking.

"Nothing definite yet." Marco looked up at his Captain, eyes determined. "I will give you more information once I have it, yoi." The first mate got up, gave a polite nod to the old pirate and walked out. Whitebeard laughed to the empty room. His children were adorable sometimes. The old pirate pushed himself up and headed for the deck. It was time to find the delivery service pilot.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco stormed into doc's office, fueled by his conversation with Pops. He saw her reading a book, her hair pulled up. When he slammed the door open, she got up, ready to get into his face once more. However, he beat her to it. Before she could catch his collar once more, he raised a hand to make her stop. Doc halted in her tracks.

"You can yell at me and throw me out later, yoi." Marco began, his voice rather raised. There was no bored expression on his face. "You can do whatever you want. I don't care. But, you let me take care of you when you need it, yoi!" He waved his arms around. The gobsmacked woman wasn't really sure how to react. She hadn't seen Marco like this for ages. He was always calm and collected. "You can tell me anything, Jade, yoi." He ran a hand through his hair, obviously nerve wrecked. Doc could see the phoenix shaking. "You know that I'm not going to go and run my mouth to the crew." He looked at her in the eyes finally, and doc could see all the pent up frustration. "You let me help you, goddamn it!"

Doc moved forward, wrapping her arms around Marco's middle gently. He dropped his head to her shoulder, sighing in defeat. It felt good to let all that out. The phoenix wasn't known for his emotional outbursts.

"I didn't mean to push you." The dark woman stroked Marco's back soothingly. "Forgive me. I was on my own for so long. I just didn't know how-"

"You are afraid of depending on someone. I know, yoi." He pulled away and walked to the bed, plopping down. Jade followed him, pulling up her chair. There was silence. Doc sighed.

"I see things." She said suddenly, making Marco look up. He was surprised at her voice. It wasn't shaky, nervous, it was steady and calm. She seemed at peace. Didn't she understand how big of a deal this was? Why was she so calm? "Both when I'm awake and when I'm asleep. I used to come to your room because of that." Jade gave a small smile. "I used to only dream back then. Now, it's worse." Marco reached out, catching her hand. Doc allowed him to squeeze her fingers.

"We're going to get through this, yoi." His finger gently moved across hers. "I'll always be here for you. Whenever you see them, you come to me, alright?"

Doc gave him another small smile. "I can do that." Marco gave a small smirk, his usual bored expression coming onto his face.

"I don't mind sharing my bed with you again, yoi." Marco chanced. Doc kept her smile, not really reacting to the words. Then, her other hand came slowly up, her fingers gently brushing Marco's bare front, causing him to shiver, before she gripped his collar.

"Out!" The first mate flew out of the medical wing.

~~~~pb~~~~

Whitebeard found Ran on deck. He waved the pilot over and settled into his usual seat. He motioned for her to sit and she plopped down, cross-legged, in front of him.

"What is the matter, sir?" She addressed the old pirate politely. She was always polite. Whitebeard laughed.

"I have approved your little adventure with Izo. If you are ready, you will leave as soon as possible." The Captain spoke. Ran gave a small nod. "This is an urgent and discreet task, Ranmao. When can you leave?"

The pilot tilted her head to the side slightly. "If Izo is ready, we can leave as soon as tonight."

"Good." Whitebeard boomed. "That's good." He reached to the side, rummaging behind his chair. He pulled out a sake bottle, causing Ran to snicker. Pirates were incorrigible. "I also wanted to talk to you about becoming my official ally, brat." The old pirate drank some booze. "I would grant you protection and freedom. And, if you were in trouble, I would be able to act without clearing it with all of my Commanders. There are also other benefits-"

"Would I have to drop some of my clients? Like Red Hair?" She interrupted. Whitebeard laughed once more.

"Unless you plan to divulge any sensitive information, I see no problem with you having pirates as clients." The old man shot back. Ran wondered about that for a second. She smiled at the large man before her.

"Sure." She concluded. "I'll be your ally."

**That's all folks! Hope you had fun!**

**Review:**

**XxFire-PhoenixxX: Jade jealous of Penny? Why? I don't think she has anything to be jealous of… Chameleone is more of a person who runs things from the shadows, so, he is merely causing mayhem subtly, trying to make his plan come together :3 Just wait for him, he will come out to play soon :)**

**The traitor? Oh weeeell, I shall keep you guessing :D**


	23. Uragiri no Yuuyake

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**I would like to extend my thanks to Animefreak217 and Volpiko on the favs! And, of course, violetpark4050 and Volpiko for the alerts :) Welcome to the family! **

**I hope you guys are enjoying the story :D**

**Chapter 23: Uragiri no Yuuyake – Theatre Brook**

Ran decided that flying with Izo was hell. The man kept complaining. The wind was too strong. His hair was getting messy. His kimono was getting crumpled. He needed to fix his makeup. The Sparrow was too cold. They were flying too low. And other things like that. She wanted Ace to fly with her again. She would take strapping someone to her glider rather than having someone complain any day.

The pilot adjusted her position. The Sparrow followed her instructions and lowered itself on the soft, rain covered grass. Ran jumped off the glider and gave a stiff Izo a hand, helping him down.

"Thanks, love." He said. "Where are we?" He wondered. They had been flying for a while. Ran had stayed up the whole night, piloting, while Izo had mostly slept through their journey. She had flown low, close to the water, keeping the cold to a minimum. She didn't have a problem, as she was in her suit, but Izo didn't have that. The ride had been fairly calm, the Sparrow was great, flying steady with minimal trembling.

"One of the smaller islands on the way to our destination." Ran took off her helmet, shaking her head, letting her hair down. Her gloved hands automatically pulled the chocolate strands back up in a bun with her chopsticks. She smiled slightly to herself, thinking about the evening before.

_Ace slipped his hat off Ran's head, getting her attention successfully. She looked over her shoulder from her position on the Captain's quarter's roof. The pilot gave him a small smile. She had been waiting for Izo to finish packing. The man was painfully slow. She had been left to her own devices while Ace turned in his paperwork. Most of the crew was on Grandia anyways, partying it up._

"_You coming back?" The pirate slipped his flashy hat on, not really looking at the girl beside him._

"_I need to give Izo a ride back." She replied. Ace nodded. His mood had gone south somehow. He wasn't sure why he was so down. Ran scooted closer to him and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "I thought that, since we have this thing going on." She motioned between them. "That we could lay down some rules." The pilot waited for a moment, letting the raven think._

"_Sure." Ace murmured. Ran noticed his moodiness and grabbed his hand. She laced their fingers and caressed the back of his hand._

"_I don't mind you being with other women as long as it's not in front of me." Now this caught Ace's attention. He looked up, slightly shocked._

"_But, I thought that-" Ran moved quickly, catching his lips. "Mmmph…" The pirate tried to speak as she pushed him down on his back. The pilot's tongue caught Ace's in a hot, not so gentle, dance. Ran held herself up with her free hand. Ace's other arm came around her waist, pushing her down towards him. She smiled into the kiss and pulled back slowly._

"_I'm not going to be jealous or anything." She allowed her body weight to press against Ace's chest. He gave her his usual silly grin._

"_I don't want you with other men." He said selfishly. Ran laughed at him, accepting the kiss that he reached for. He pulled their joined hands above his head and messed up her balance. He smirked into the kiss when she fell down on him. Ran chuckled and allowed him to take control._

"Thinking about R rated things, sweetie?" Izo asked, bringing Ran back to present. She turned around to see the previously disheveled Commander in top shape, every hair in place, every wrinkle straightened. The pilot smiled at her friend's antics.

"Not really. Just about Ace." She dropped her helmet into the Sparrow's storage, grabbed her backpack and took out the key gear, locking the Sparrow. Ran slammed the storage closed. She motioned for the Commander to follow and he did.

"Did he do something interesting?" Izo asked as they walked.

"More like said."

Izo took out his kiseru and put it in his mouth by habit. He took comfort in the familiar taste of tobacco. "Tell me all the juicy details, love." The Commander smiled like a cat. "I love hearing about you two."

Ran giggled excitedly, catching Izo's sleeve. "He was adorably jealous." The Commander looped their arms together, pulling her closer. He was hanging onto her every word. "Now." The pilot's cheeks were starting to hurt from all the laughing. "Tell me about your love life, dear."

Izo gave an exasperated look. "What? No." Ran raised an eyebrow. "There's really nothing to tell, sweetie." He was evading the question. And Ran, she was giddy. She was high on her recent romantic endeavors with Ace. The pilot was happy, thinking back to all those kisses, touches and hickeys. She wouldn't be deterred in her mission to bug Izo.

Ran wasn't one to poke her nose into someone's business. She was mostly on the road anyways. She usually didn't have the chance to poke her nose. But with Izo. No. With the Whitebeard Pirates, she was always somehow different. The first time she met them, too. They took a special place in her heart. Marco, with his overprotective, mother hen behavior. Thatch, with his silly practical jokes. Whitebeard, with his huge body and scary demeanor, but lovable personality. Doc, with her insane anger issues and sweet smelling tea. Leo, with his gentle smile and noble actions.

And Izo. Ran didn't have friends. She had clients, relatives and acquaintances. And then, there was Izo. Izo was an amazing man. A person who had accepted her, faults and all. He allowed her to leave and come back. He loved her for who she was, a little Migratory Bird. She was proud to call Izo her friend.

The pilot shivered in the cold of the autumn climate of the island. Izo pulled her further to himself, giving her a small smile. She snuggled into his side, accepting the warmth. Her suit had to be broken or something. She was freezing.

"So, you gonna tell me about your own romance?" The Commander stayed silent, slowly chewing the end of his pipe. Ran smirked. "Alright then. I can assume." The change was instantaneous. The cross-dresser's body went rigid and he looked at her from the corner of his eye. Ran caught the gaze and stared him down.

"You drive a hard bargain, sweetie." The Commander laughed. "There really isn't anything to tell, though." Izo sighed and pulled Ran into the empty street. It was cold and misty. The stone and brick houses of the quiet town were still visible, though. There were dark, leafless trees along the road. Red, yellow and orange leaves covered the pavement, crackling under their feet.

"Really?" She wondered. Somehow the town was solemn. Calm. Dead. Ran shivered.

Izo gave a small sigh. "I'm just meddling, love." He released the pipe from his teeth and dropped it back into his sleeve. "I have found that I am not the easiest person to like in that way, Ran."

"For what it's worth, I love you." She confessed, pulling the Commander into a side hug. Izo laughed and it rang through the empty street.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco woke up early, as usual. He headed to the deck and did a casual sweep. Since all was in order, the lookouts were awake and mostly sober, he figured that he wasn't needed. The first mate found Ace sitting on the railing, watching the sea. He was alone, surprisingly.

"Morning, yoi." The phoenix greeted. The raven turned around, looking a bit startled. He gave a nod to the man. "What are you doing up so early?" The blonde questioned, curious. Ace wasn't one to be up early. He mostly slept during the morning, as he was usually awake late at nights. His narcolepsy really did a number on his sleeping schedule.

"I slept through the night." The young pirate replied softly. His orange hat was in his hands and he was looking at it. "I fell asleep after Ran left." He clarified, putting the hat on his head. Marco didn't react for a moment.

"Come here, yoi." The phoenix demanded. Ace slid off the railing, a bit surprised, and walked to the Commander. Marco gave no warning. He simply flew forward and slammed an open palm into Ace's chest. The raven flew across the deck, eyes wide. The railing near the whale figurehead finally stopped him and he groaned.

"What the hell, you pineapple?!" Ace yelled, tasting copper in his mouth. The bastard had used Haki. By the way his chest hurt and his breath wheezed through his nose and mouth, the Commander hadn't held back one bit. It had been a while since Ace had gone against the flaming chicken. Nowadays, he mostly sparred with Leo. He was almost on pair with the blonde pirate.

"Come here, yoi." The Commander repeated, face bored. Ace ground his teeth and pushed himself up. He coughed, his chest rumbling weirdly. He didn't feel too good. It had been a while since he had been in a real fist fight. Actually taken a hit. While training, the raven did get some bruises, but never serious injuries. Leo had always been careful. Marco had also been quite gentle. He had never known that this was the Commander's true strength. He wasn't surprised.

"Are you giving up?" The first mate spoke again. Ace pushed himself away from the railing that he had been using for support and ran forwards. He threw a couple of quick punches at the Commander, but the man evaded with ease. Marco went after him for real, hitting hard. Ace could bet that he would have bruises to prove his courage tomorrow. No knowledge of combat could help him, the Commander was ruthless. Ace blocked most of the hits on instinct, because Garp and Sabo had beaten the basics into him. The experience was what saved his skin. He aimed for the phoenixes legs next, trying to send him to the ground. Marco smirked at the attempt, eyes going dark with the excitement of the fight.

The raven's leg met thin air, instead of the Commander's sandal strapped calves. Ace had blinked for a split second, and the blonde had been gone. He looked around, trying to find the first mate. There was a faint sound of burning and flapping from above and strong claws caught Ace's shoulders in a vice grip. The young pirate flailed around for a second, and then tilted his head back to look at Marco. The Commander was partially transformed, sporting wings and claws of his phoenix Devil Fruit. His eyes were dangerous. Marco was prepared to kill him.

Ace's body moved on autopilot. He did everything he had practiced with Leo. Only stronger, more determined and more focused. Suddenly, Ace was heading towards the deck, head first. He could see Marco above him, a wide grin on his face, talons gone. Ace felt his body explode into fire before he hit the deck.

Everything hurt when he pulled himself out of the rubble of planks. There were scorch marks all around the epicenter. A hand caught his and helped him up. Marco steadied him. Ace coughed again. The first punch had really hit the spot.

"That was good, yoi." Ace stumbled, but Marco caught him. "Much better than last time." The phoenix pulled one of the pirate's arms around his shoulders, helping him walk. The raven wheezed. "I got you good, yoi." Marco laughed and led the raven towards the medical wing. At least the young pirate wasn't moping about his Migratory Bird anymore. Marco softly knocked at doc's door.

"I'm up!" Came her voice. She sounded tired, the phoenix noted. Irritated, too. He pushed the door with one hand, the other holding the wheezing Ace steady. They entered the warm room and smelled the tea immediately. The raven smiled slightly at the soothing scent. Doc was sitting in her chair, tending to a guilty looking 4th Commander on the bed.

"You need to be more careful, irresponsible man." Doc scolded Thatch while wrapping his hand up. Ace saw that she had Band-Aids on her own palms. He wondered what happened. Doc rarely got hurt. She was that careful, not to mention that good. After all, to be able to heal someone, you had to be in a state where you could. You needed to be a skilled fighter to keep yourself alive and unhurt. "A little bit closer to the bone and you could have severed the nerve!" She yelled at the 4th Commander. "I'm a doctor, not a magician! Idiot!" She crossed the room angrily. The look she gave Marco when she saw Ace's injuries was positively murderous. She sighed. "At least he's not a civilian." The first mate wisely chose to stay silent. The dark woman stomped to the cupboard, rummaged through for a moment and pulled away with a small jar of pink salve in her hand. She walked back to Thatch angrily and shoved it into his good hand. "Change bandages once a day, put the salve when you clean it. Be careful. If your hand goes numb, come to me immediately. Understood?!" Thatch nodded with a dumb smile on his face. "Good." The woman nodded, irritated. "Let me see him."

Marco did as commanded. He pulled Ace towards the bed. Thatch stood up helping the raven settle down. Doc clicked her tongue, looking over the young pirate's injuries. Thatch took a step back. It was early in the morning. First, he had come in, injured by his own sword. He had been trying out a new technique. Maybe he had had one drink. One. Ok, maybe a few more. But still, he had been rather sober. In his opinion.

"This doesn't look too bad. But it is still irresponsible!" The dark woman clicked her tongue once more. She frowned at Marco and then went back to probing Ace's chest, gauging the extent of his injuries.

"I'll be fine." The raven protested. Doc clicked her tongue and gave him a glare. He went silent. She poked his hurt rib and he flinched.

"How bad is it, yoi?" Marco asked. The dark woman didn't answer. He took it as a sign to go quiet. For a while. Doc probed and prodded a little more. She listened to his breathing carefully, hearing the wheeze. She clicked her tongue once again. "Stupid!" She yelled suddenly, causing Thatch and Ace to jump and Marco to flinch.

~~~~pb~~~~

The trio left doc's office, priding themselves in the fact that they were alive. The woman had treated Ace and told him to take it easy for the next week or more. He had bruised ribs, and no matter how fast he healed due to his extensive training and wild childhood, it would hurt. Thatch was retelling the story of how he cut his hand as they walked, causing Marco and Ace to chuckle or laugh. The raven realized just how painful the next couple of days were going to be.

"Commander Marco, Commander Thatch, Ace, my boy! You are up with the sun today!" Kondor greeted from the kitchen, surprised at their appearance. Thatch leaned on the counter comfortably.

"Of course we are, old man! Lots of things to do. People to prank, skirts to chase, food to eat, battles to win." The pompadour explained, his hand never steady. He was one of those people who spoke with his body and his mouth. He would gesture with his hand as he talked, keeping your attention on him successfully. "We have a new wounded soldier, too! Marco did a number on him!" The Commander laughed, causing the phoenix to frown. He hadn't meant to hurt Ace this much. He had just wanted to keep the younger pirate on his toes. Make him more prepared for the rest of the New World.

"A-aaah~ Food to heal the grave battle wounds?" Kondor laughed, taking a chug from his bottle. "I can do that."

"Thanks, Kondor." Ace gave a small grin, pain evident on his face. The meds hadn't kicked in yet. Soon, he encouraged himself. He tilted his head, trying to see further into the kitchen.

"She's still asleep, Ace, my boy." Kondor clarified and started flipping some pancakes. Thatch laughed at the raven. Ace gave him a glare.

"Let's sit down, yoi." The first mate helped the raven to his favorite seat, ignoring the protests of the young pirate. Thatch followed them, still chuckling. He settled down and grabbed the newspaper on the table. Obviously Kondor had been up for a while. It was that day's newspaper. The 4th Commander opened the paper and started skimming through.

"Look at this." The pompadour said after a while, interrupting Marco and Ace's chat about Grandia's relations with the Sky Islands. "Some new bounty hunter is making a name."

"Let me see." Ace extended his arm, wincing. Thatch passed the newspaper. "Woah! A hundred million? That's her first bounty?" The raven looked through the information.

"This is the first time I've heard of her." The pompadour said. "Lady D, what a stupid name." He laughed.

"If she's a bounty hunter, why does she have a bounty on her own head? Most of them don't." Ace asked absent mindedly, eyes still on the article. Thatch snorted.

"Look at the bottom. They left out quite a few details, but it's still quite clear." The 4th Commander gave a small, twisted smile. "The woman's insane."

"I've seen this MO before, yoi." Marco supplied, looking over Ace's shoulder. He was focused on the end of the article, a slight frown on his face. "There was a girl about six or seven years ago? I can't really remember, yoi. A teenager. She used to torture her bounties before turning them in, too, yoi." Ace raised an eyebrow at Marco.

"Why torture? I mean, capture I get. Kill if they resist, I get. But why torture?" The raven asked. He wondered if he, himself, would one day end up on that side. Tortured before being turned in.

Thatch shrugged. "Who knows why she does it. It could be for information, pleasure, maybe she hates criminals or just pirates. Maybe she's just practicing her skills. You never know with bounty hunters. They tend to be a bit coo coo." The pompadour shook his hand beside his head, motioning like someone was crazy. Ace gave a chuckle and winced.

"You think it's the same person?" The raven turned to Marco. The first mate shrugged.

"You don't get that many crazies, yoi. It may be that she's the same person. They never caught that teen, after all, yoi." The phoenix explained with a bored expression. Thatch stretched over the table and grabbed the newspaper from Ace.

"You know what?" He folded it. "She's on Grand Line, ergo, she's not out problem." He pushed the newspaper away with a grin. Ace shook his head, stopping his chuckling just in time.

"Commanders, Ace, my boy! Food is ready!" Kondor called from the window and Thatch jumped to his feet.

"I've got it." He went to the window, a giant smile on his face, and grabbed a couple of trays expertly. He realized quickly that he would have to make a couple of trips. Ace and his crazy appetite. The pompadour walked back to the table, putting the food down. Ace's head hit the table suddenly, causing Marco and Thatch to exchange an amused glance.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke up to find Izo gone. She got up, took off and dropped her pilot suit on the bed. She needed a shower.

The town had been almost abandoned. It looked like a ghost town. Luckily, Izo and Ran had managed to find a working inn. They also got a room, since the pilot had needed sleep. Needless to say, she was out like a light for a while. She figured that Izo had left somewhere while she had been asleep.

The hot water on her skin was more than welcome. She shivered and sunk further into the tub with a sigh. The island climate was cold. The air had bitten into her skin, even through her suit. Her feet and hands felt a bit numb, even though she had slept under a blanket. The hot water made her skin prickle uncomfortably. She submerged her head and let her hair become wet. She stayed under for a while. Her eyes opened, regardless of the soapy water. She could feel her throat closing in on itself and her eyes prickling. Her lungs clenched uncomfortably because of the lack of oxygen and Ran pushed her head out of the water, taking a deep breath. Then, she couldn't hold it in. She started crying inconsolably.

It was almost like she could feel the metal bars of the cage closing in. Ran felt desperate. She was shivering, and not because of the cold. It was too fast. It was all happening too fast. She wasn't ready to be tied down. She wasn't ready to settle. She was used to being alone. Ran had one constant partner. She had one best friend. One lover. One brother. One single person in her life. Her Sparrow. The bird was her everything. Machines were always more reliable that anyone who serviced them. Machines were grateful. They didn't leave and they always kept their word. Most importantly, machines gave her wings. And she needed her wings. Without them, she wasn't free.

Her tears had stopped, and now she sat in the slowly cooling water, just staring into space ahead, numb. A mosquito sounded to her left, but she didn't move to shoo it away. She had made a terrible mistake. She shouldn't have done anything with Ace. She had been on her way to befriend him. And then, she had screwed it up. By wanting to screw him. She had broken her rules. One night stands only. She had broken her rules. And now, she was going to break him, too. Just like she broke everything she touched. Ace was too young. Too trusting. He genuinely liked her. She was going to break him. She should have stuck with machines. She had always preferred machines.

Purupurupuru!

Her Den Den Mushi sounded. Ran sighed, dismissing her thoughts, and got out of the tub. She didn't bother rinsing herself out, as she would be in the sea not too long after. Ran grabbed a towel from the rack and while wrapping it around her body, she rushed into the room to search for her snail.

Purupurupuru!

Ran rummaged through her bag and pulled out the ringing snail. She frowned at it for a second. Taking this call might be a way back to her old ways. Not taking it. That would mean turning a new page. Settling down with the Whitebeard Pirates. She didn't know if she was ready. No. She knew. She wasn't ready to settle down. She wasn't ready to have a home, yet.

Kacha!

"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" The pilot picked up the call. For a second the line was dead. Then the person on the other side spoke.

"H-hello?" It was a man. Ran would estimate around thirty? Maybe even forty. He sounded very unsure.

"Yes, sir. How may I help you?" The pilot asked gently. She had never heard this man's voice before. Obviously, he was a new client. And she needed new clients. However, she still needed to be careful. She was a wanted person.

"Ah. Y-Yes. Yes, of course." The man spoke. "I got your contact from a friend of mine. He said that you carry things? All over the open seas?"

"Yes, sir." Ran answered properly. She was so used to slipping into her formal delivery pilot persona by now. Her voice would become deeper. Her back would straighten. Her grammar would become perfect. Her words would become more proper. She wouldn't use contractions. Her eyes would become distant, cold, almost empty, leaving her body on land and her mind in the air, on the road.

"I-I see. Well, umm… I have this package that I would like delivered. W-would you be able to do it?" The man spoke once more, his voice just as shaky as it was in the beginning.

"Would you be able to tell me your location, sir?" Ran asked politely, her questions carefully coached. She had done this a thousand times.

"A-ah, of course! I live in Silver Peak. A small village on Montagne." He took a deep breath. Ran could hear the shakiness. "Oh, right! That's in the New World."

"That is not a problem. I am currently in the New World, heading to a nearby island. If you could give me the size, weight and destination of the package, sir?"

"Yes, o-of course!" The man spoke up again, voice cracking. "It is a small package, around 300 grams and I would like you to take it to a specific post box. O-on Sabaody Archipelago. The recipient will pick it up there, a-after they come back from Grand Line. Of course, I would pay you handsomely for your long trip, miss."

Ran nodded to herself. She wanted this job. She really did. But, Sabaody was far. And, she needed to get Izo back onto the Moby Dick. To see Ace. Ace. He asked her to come back.

"I would like to take your job, sir, but I need to know how quickly would you need said package delivered?" The pilot asked, a sick feeling in her stomach. She didn't understand why. She had decided that it was best not to go back. Not to break him. Then, why was she feeling so guilty?

"O-oh! It's not too urgent.. I would like for you to pick it up as soon as possible. However, delivering isn't really a priority. A month would be fine?" The man replied and Ran smiled to herself.

"I will take the job then, sir." She replied. "I expect to be near Montaigne in less than a week."

"T-that is great!" The man seemed ecstatic. Ran suddenly remembered that no matter how convenient the job, she needed to be careful.

"Sir? If I may just ask who referred you to me?"

"Y-yes, of course! An elderly man told me about you. I believe that he was named Pinjao? I remember because his name sounded like the name of that famous pirate Don Chinjao! Chinjao the Drill! He used to be very famous back in the day." The man laughed nervously. Ran felt her smile widen. She trusted Elder Pinjao's judgment.

"I look forward to hearing from you soon, sir." With that, the line went dead.

Kacha!

~~~~pb~~~~

Night came quickly for Marco. They had had a lot of work to do, as they had set off in the late afternoon. Their next stop would be Wano. Ace had gone, injuries and all, to do some personal errands. He had ended up dragging Leo with him, thus making Marco's tower of perfect organization collapse. The first mate had improvised, and even done quite a bit of extra work himself. In the end, they set off just on time. Not like anyone except him was bothered if the ship was a day or two late.

He had eaten some dinner with Thatch and Ace. The duo had sided with old man Kondor and forced him to go to the cafeteria three times a day. The phoenix was surprised that he had complied with their constant pestering. Then again, had he not, he didn't doubt that the two would've pranked him to hell and beyond. They were stubborn and they didn't really forget. Considering that Izo was gone, Marco was their primary target.

With a sigh Marco started picking up the paperwork that had been strewn all over his room. At the end of the month it got insane. All the Commanders turned their reports in to him and he had to make sense of them and put them in order. A knock came from his door.

"Enter, yoi." He said on reflex, not pausing in his work. The door opened and doc came in. Marco raised his head to see who it was and then he froze. Doc was in her white, almost see-through, nightgown. It had thin straps and came to her thighs. The First Commander could see her black underwear clearly. His mind went into overdrive. When doc raised her eyebrow, the phoenix became aware of the fact that he had been staring at her chest. He gulped and forced his eyes away, but they had a mind of their own and went further down. He followed her long legs all the way to her feet, which were sporting simple white flats.

"C-Could-" Marco cleared his throat. "Could you close that?" He motioned to the white silk robe that she had over her nightwear loosely. Doc gave a small smirk but she pulled the cloth closed. Marco gave a sigh of relief and managed to finally look up and into her eyes. She seemed amused. "Can I do anything for you, yoi?"

Doc walked forward, giving a small nod. "You going to bed soon?" She asked and bent down, helping him pick up the reports. She knew the way he organized his mess by now. The phoenix stood still for a moment, following her every move. He tore his eyes away finally and continued gathering and filing the papers. The first mate could feel himself itching to sneak another peak at doc, but he held back, forcing himself to look at the unattractive names and dates on the reports.

"As soon as this is in order, yoi." The blonde replied. He felt like he was getting his mind slowly back. Marco prided himself in his iron control. He kept his temper in check all the time. He acted bored, almost lazy most of the time. He kept it all in, his mind doing the work and his expression schooled perfectly. However, Jade broke his iron control easily. It was so wrong, how much he wanted her. Not just in that sense. He wanted her close. He needed her close.

"That's the last of them." Doc's voice brought him back to the real world. Marco nodded without looking at her and placed the papers from his hands on the table. He could feel the heat in the room slowly leaving and his head clearing. The less he looked at her, the quieter his mind became. Then, he remembered.

"Jade, why did you tell me that you suspect Penny, yoi?" He turned to doc, mind focused on his goal. His eyes found hers and he forced them to stay there. Doc's brow furrowed, one eyebrow rising.

"Suspect Penelope of what?" She asked, confused. Marco, sighed, smiling to himself. He walked to his bed and sat down, undoing his sandals. Doc followed him and plopped down next to him. She pushed her flats off and crawled further onto the large bed.

"You do remember the increase in reports, yoi?" Marco asked over his shoulder, giving her a slight questioning look. Why was she in his bed? He forced his mind not to roam the possibilities. Doc gave a small nod. "You told me how you saw Penny going over our travel logs, yoi. I investigated her as a mole." Marco stood, taking his sash and shirt off. He placed them on the chair, along with his belt. When he turned around, he saw doc's increasing confusion.

"I didn't." She told him, adamant. "I never saw Penelope going over travel logs. I don't think she has any navigational skills." She brushed her hair back gently. Marco noted how she had straightened it today. It looked breathtaking in his opinion. He forced himself to focus once again. "She used to come to my office for check-ups. Now, she comes to talk about her nightmares about that horrible crew that enslaved her. I don't know anything about her being interested in our position." Marco sighed again, plopping onto the bed and rolling deeper onto it. He had been played. By whom? There was only one person who he knew had the ability to completely copy someone. And that man had understood the Commander well enough to play his weakness. Obviously, he had underestimated Marco. "Your face is scary." Doc told him, her face appearing above his.

"Is it, yoi?" Marco joked, a small smile on his face now. She was propped on her arms, above him, her long hair falling across her shoulders and onto his bare torso. Doc opened her mouth, no doubt to ask further about their previous conversation, but the phoenix would have none of it. "Just leave it all to me, yoi." He interrupted her, smiling gently. The first mate reached up, pulling some of her hair back behind her shoulders. He could see doc's face much better now. She gave him a small, gentle smile and lowered herself to his warm body. He extended his arm, accommodating her form and allowing her to make herself comfortable. With his other arm, Marco threw the covers over them and slowly drifted into sleep, content.

**That's all folks! **

**Somehow, this chapter feels short… even though it's around 6k…**

**Anyways, Wren, love, welcome back! Your review totally made me write this chapter :D**

**Marco and Jade…. Aaaah Marco and Jade…. I'm just going to leave it at that xD I'm not sure where I'm going with them… Marco is quite smitten… Hmmmm I shall seeeeee~**

**Ran and Ace are adorable xD Teen angst all the way hahahaha I like how I kept their relationship friendly, yet still hot. I mean, they obviously care for each other, and find each other attractive, but they aren't Romeo and Juliet or anything. More like, friends who are comfortable enough to cross that border of just friends and act on their attraction, if you get what I mean? Ace is a bit more attached, though. He doesn't want to become attached, but when he does, he does. Ran is, too, but she believes that she's not.**

**Izo is bbva;ojmw;vna;ks I love Izo! :D But, he is one of those people who have high self-awareness and tend to be self-conscious in the weirdest of ways. And then we have Thatch, who looooves women… This is going to be a challenge xD**

**I hope that this chapter gives you a bit more insight on the whole 'Chameleone' thing. Tell me your thoughts? I was really happy that you had a whole theory and all that, it made me suuuuuper giddy :D I hope that this surprised you a bit :P**

**I adore Pink :D She is one awesome lady! And I love that song :3 Glad that you are enjoying my playlist :3**


	24. Secret & Let her go

**Welcome, ladies and gents!**

**A very fast update, I was surprised, too. **

**I would like to thank Clairenwj for the fav and alert! Welcome to the family :)**

**Wren, love, thanks for the reviews, you totally made me write this chapter like I was on fire xD**

**Chapter 24: Secret – Miyavi & Let her go – Passenger**

"You have to do everything I say." Ran's voice was low, deep, a mere whisper, but he heard it just fine. It was dark, but Ace could see her eyes. They were mischievous, twinkling. She was looking at him like he was her prey. And Ace liked it.

"Alright." He agreed to her weird condition. He hadn't really experimented in his sex life. More like, he had casual flings on the side and maybe one or two relationships that didn't last too long. Ace simply hadn't had a chance to make his bedroom life fun. So, with Ran, who was as kinky as he had ever met, he was willing to accept any condition that she put. He wanted to try out all the things that he had heard about from his fellow pirates. Ran didn't seem to mind it.

"You can't talk." She told him sternly and her hand came up to his bare chest. He felt his temperature rise, especially in the spot that she touched. Ace nodded, accepting the condition. Ran smirked and pushed him back. Ace couldn't pinpoint their location because of the darkness. However, his knees hit the bed, and he fell back. Ran stood still, just looking at him. Ace moved to get up, but she interrupted him.

"Don't get up."

He obeyed, sitting on the bed comfortably. The pilot moved back. Her hands came to her many pouches and half skirt and she undid them, letting them clang and flutter to the floor. Ace watched in anticipation, painfully aware of the blood pooling down south. Ran bent down, giving him a nice view of her back and bum and undid her boots. They came off. She opened the fly on her shorts and undid the zipper slowly. Ace could feel his hand twitching with each soft click. He wanted to help her out. Speed up the whole painful process. The last click finally sounded and she opened her shorts further, giving him a nice view of her soft purple, lacy underwear. Ace felt himself freeze. His breath quickened, temperature rising once more. He reached out his hands, aiming for her hips. He needed for her to hurry it up. He couldn't take all of this teasing. Ran's hand slapped his swiftly, stopping him. Ace looked up, bewildered.

"You can't touch."

Ran ordered. Ace looked up at her. Her eyes told him that her control was just as thin as his. She wanted him. But, she wanted him to grovel at her feet before that. She enjoyed ordering him around. She got excited by the dominance and the pain and pleasure that it promised.

Ace pulled back his hands, putting them on the bed. He clenched the sheets tightly, to prevent himself from reaching out again. To prevent himself from ripping the remaining clothes off her and having his way with the young pilot.

Ran's thumbs hooked into her shorts and she slowly slid them down. Very slowly. Ace followed the path with his eyes. He wasn't sure where to look. At her panties? Damn, they left little to imagination. Lacy and pale, also sinfully small. He wanted them off of her. No. Maybe at her legs? Years of flying gave her defined leg muscles, not a lot of fat, either. They were strong, smooth and graceful legs. He liked them. He liked them wrapped around his waist. Maybe her butt? Small and round, also formed by years of flying. In these panties, it was simply delicious. He wanted to touch. Ace gripped the sheets tighter. He saw Ran's smirk widen and she slowly did a turn for him. It gave him a whole three-sixty vision of her. Ran kept her back to him and undid her chopstick bun. Ace watched the soft chocolate strands cascade down her shoulders and back in gentle waves. He groaned. Ran chuckled, deep and raw. She was getting the reaction that she had wanted.

She turned around, facing him now. She dropped to her knees suddenly, right in front of Ace. The raven froze. Was this really happening? Ran's hands reached out, but not where he wanted. He felt the heat slightly lower, but it was still almost impossible to handle. Ran undid his boots and threw them somewhere behind her. She smiled and placed her palms flat onto his knees. The skin under her hands quickly heated up and she sighed in pleasure. She dragged her palms gently upwards, leaving goose bumps in her wake. Her hands left the skin, only her fingertips touching the flesh. Ace took a shaky breath as she strayed into the inside of his thighs, spreading his legs open. He obeyed, not waiting for the verbal command. Ran moved back, frowning.

"Did I say you could move?" She scolded, voice raised. Ace stared in disbelief. He wanted those hands back on him. She had just been getting to the best place. He wanted her to touch again. He wanted her to bring him his release. He would play along. It was torture. But it was a torture full of pleasure.

"No, but- Argh!" Ace groaned in pain as Ran's fingers came back to the inside of his thighs. She wasn't gentle, though, she dug her nails into the soft and sensitive flesh harshly. He gave her an incredulous look. What had he done now?

"No talking." Ran scolded. The pressure from her nails eased. She let go slowly, her soft fingertips gently kneading the flesh now. She bent down, to Ace's surprise and rising anticipation, and she pressed a chaste kiss to the crescent marks, barely touching the skin. She looked up from that position, and Ace almost exploded at the sight. Ran was kneeling in front of him, almost naked, hair disheveled and unbound, lips pressed to the skin of his thigh, so close to where he wanted them to be. Her eyes were locked with his, trapping him. Hypnotizing. He was powerless in her hands.

Ace nodded his head, accepting her conditions. She smiled slightly. "Good." Her cheek was pressed against the inside of his leg now, fingers gently massaging his skin. "I suppose I should give you a reward now?" Ace trembled at the thought. So many possibilities were going through his head. His hands twitched, but he forced them to stay still. If he broke the rules, he wouldn't get his release. He nodded again, his face slowly heating up.

"I can do that." Ran smiled. Her hands reached up, nimble fingers reaching his pants. Ace froze, trembling, holding his breath. The heat was unbearable by now. He needed to release his fire, or to push it back down, into the depths of his Logia body. The pads of her fingers touched him, his pants and Ace released a throaty moan. When he heard it ring through the room, his hand flew to his mouth, the back of it, stifling any more that might come. He was painfully aware of the bright red blush on his face. He was pretty sure that all his freckles had vanished into it.

Ran chuckled and pushed herself up, using his legs as leverage. Her fingers brushed against the tent in is pants as she reached up, but Ace managed to muffle the moan. The pilot bent forward, catching herself on her hands on each side of his body. She bent even lower, her loose hair caressing his sweaty, hot and very naked torso. She smiled at his closed eyes and her mouth reached his hand. The one that was stifling all those wonderful noises. She pressed a chaste kiss on it inside, causing Ace's eyes to fly open. He looked at her in shock, waiting for the punishment. It never came. Her leg came up, knee leaning on the bed and moving upwards in between his. Her lower thigh made slight contact with his groin, causing him to muffle another moan. She bit into his palm, causing him to yelp in surprise. The slight movement of her leg and the pleasure it brought banished all the pain in a flash.

"Let me hear you." The woman ordered next. Ace nodded. He was too far gone. She had teased him too much. He would do anything now. Just to get that beautiful release in the end. Ran moved back and Ace lowered his hand back to the sheets. "Better." Ran said with a smile, leg moving away from his groin. "Move further up." Was her new demand. The pirate obeyed.

Ran stayed still, watching him crawl on his back. Ace was painfully aware of his quick, hot breaths. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He didn't doubt that he could overpower her, but going against her will was not something that Ace wanted to do. The pilot watched him, her own heart beating wildly. Ace stared in anticipation. He wanted more of her. More of her game. Ran then smirked and got on the bed. She slowly moved towards him on all fours, giving him a nice view of her cleavage. Ace could feel his pants becoming increasingly uncomfortable with each slow sway of her breasts. When she finally reached his body, Ace held his breath. Maybe if he breathed, he would spook her and she would move away.

Her limbs brushed against his legs as she moved up. Her fingers touched the hot skin of his sides as she passed. Ace shuddered at the contact, his eyes fluttering closed. When he opened them back up Ran was smirking at him. She had stopped moving up and was hovering above him. Her chest was just above his face. Ace's gaze fell on the breasts, and he couldn't look it away. Ran lowered herself on him, her bare skin and soft panties making contact with his abdomen. With a smirk she slid down, pressing just right against him. Ace groaned. The pilot started moving her hips in small circular motions, changing the amount of pressure that was on his groin. She alternated between fast and slow circles, the smirk widening at every single little pant he gave. After one particularly hard grind Ace moaned and his hands flew up, grabbing her hips and pulling her back down. Ran slapped his hands, rising onto her knees, not touching him.

"You can't touch." She ordered him. Ace groaned, letting his arms fall onto the bed. He clenched the sheets in a vice grip. "Good." Ran lowered herself back down, sliding to his thighs. "I should give a reward." The pilot bent down, placing small, open mouthed kissed on Ace's chest and abdomen, heading further down. She drank up every single moan and groan that he gave. Her fingers undid his zipper swiftly, pulling his pants slightly down. Ace wasn't sure if he was breathing or not anymore. He must've been breathing, else he would've died or fainted. Ran nipped lightly on the sensitive skin below his abs and pulled away. Her fingers touched his chest and then slid down. She traced his abs and went even lower, reaching his underwear. Ace wasn't breathing now. He really wasn't. He just needed her to go a bit lower. Just a little bit lower.

"Ace! Wake up!" Leo's face appeared on Ran's body. "We're under attack!" The dark room and seductive body vanished and the group sleeping quarters came into focus. Leo shook him once more. "Let's go! Get up!" And with that the blonde ran out, heading for the deck. The ship shook once again and Ace groaned at the problem in his pants. However, he did get up and head towards the deck.

In the past few days his wounds had gotten a bit better, so he could walk and do daily chores fairly easily. However, a new problem had presented itself. Ace was addicted to Ran. He dreamed about her. He thought about her. He felt her touches even when awake. He had to be sick or something. This wasn't normal. He figured, that since he had broken his celibacy, he had become incredibly high on the feeling. On the anticipation of release. Getting simply a small taste wasn't enough. He needed the whole package. Many, many times. The ship shook again and Ace quickened his pace.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran sipped her coffee, enjoying the nice, spring weather. It was a good change from the last couple of islands she and Izo had landed on. They had mostly been winter or autumn islands, which were all going through their cold seasons. This one was a winter island, too, but it was going through its summer cycle. That basically meant a nice, cool, spring like weather.

Ran was sitting in a cute, outdoors cafe, enjoying a cup of coffee and waiting for her client. It was going to be noon soon, and the man should be arriving. Then again, Ran didn't mind people being late. She, herself, was sometimes late. So, she figured she couldn't complain. She had worn one of the short kimonos Izo had suggested she buy, and she was now glad that she had listened. The material was fine, silky and comfortable. It wasn't too hot in it, but she wasn't cold either. Ran smiled to herself and took another sip of the sweet beverage. She took her coffee sweet, with milk.

Speaking of the cross-dresser. Ran had dropped the pink Commander off at his destination that morning. The man had agreed to meet up later that day, after she picked up her package. Meanwhile, he needed to meet with the governor and tend to the problems of the island. Apparently, they had bandits pillaging their villages and towns. Ran was glad to leave the man to deal with it. She knew how scary Izo could get. It was all fun and games until he pulled out his guns. The dazzling beauty would become terrifying once you were staring at his cold eyes down the barrel of his gun. Ran was thankful that she had been on that end only once. Izo wasn't someone who accepted new faces easily. He tended to be suspicious. The first time Ran had worked for Whitebeard, Izo had been away when she took the job. So, when she delivered, he considered her a threat, as he was the lookout. She had never been gladder to see Thatch than that night. So, Ran didn't really worry about Izo. The pink Commander could more than take care of himself, battle wise.

"R-Ran-san?" A voice asked. The pilot turned around a bit, a polite smile plastered on her face.

"Yes?" The man that stood before her seemed nervous. He was in his thirties, his longish black hair was pulled into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck, and it seemed to stick out it weird directions. His eyes were on the ground, but Ran could see that they were grey. What a peculiar color, she mused. He also had a scar on his face. It ran jaggedly just under his right eye. It looked old. Other than that, he had no other distinguishable marks on him. His clothes were casual, plain. His posture was hunched, as if he were hiding. Generally, Ran's impression of him was 'one of those invisible people in the mass'.

"I am Erebus, but most people call me Kage. I-It's very nice to meet you." The man slowly came towards her. Ran noticed how reluctant he was to sit. The pilot stood, dropping a few belis on the table. She picked up her bag and motioned for Kage to follow. He gladly did, seeming a bit more relaxed.

"May I see the package?" Ran asked the man. He nodded shakily and opened his bag. Kage started rummaging through, looking for it. He became increasingly more upset the longer he searched. Ran raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any questions.

"I-I seem to have misplaced it. I-I am so sorry. Forgive me." He started bowing to her in apology. Ran smiled, raising her hands to stop him.

"It's alright. Shall we go and pick it up?" She gave him a bright, encouraging smile, causing his face to brighten up. He seemed more at ease. He started nodding frantically.

"Y-Yes, of course! I-it's here, just around the corner." He led Ran away from the main street, which was full of colors and people. Kage kept talking, telling her about Silver Peak, and how beautiful it was here. Ran felt guilty to admit, but she had tuned out his stuttering babble. "Right h-here." He unlocked one of the houses and entered, still shaking while he walked. Ran followed, her encouraging smile in place. The house was dark and dusty. It smelled of mold and rotten food. Ran wrinkled her nose, but didn't comment. Did this man really live here? The house didn't seem lived in. She turned to Kage to ask him about it, her curiosity breaking her polite façade.

"H-here you go, miss." He handed her a small package, barely the size of her hand. It was wrapped in strong, brown paper, the industrial kind. When she took it her gloved hands couldn't feel the texture, but she was willing to bet that it was rough. The small package wasn't too heavy, and was strangely warm. Ran frowned at it.

"Is this package fragile in any way? Because I do not accept living packages, sir." She looked up at him. Kage nodded shakily.

"It is very fragile, miss. But, I assure you, it is not alive." Ran threw another look at the package. It seemed strangely squishy in her hand. She turned it around slowly, aiming to inspect the underside. What she saw, was entirely unexpected. The bottom had gone a deep burgundy and it seemed wet. When Ran pulled her hand away, there was a crimson smear left on her white glove. Uneasiness pooled into the pit of her stomach and her heart started beating like it had gone insane. She looked up at Kage cautiously. "At least, it is not alive anymore." His grey eyes had gone stone cold. Then, everything went black.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Move those planks over there!" Leo yelled out to Teach across the deck as the pirates tidied up. The fight was over, the victory had been theirs, as usual. And now, now came the cleanup. Along with the scorched hole that Ace and Marco had made a few days back, now they had quite a few more holes, broken or sliced planks, and burn marks. All in all, major cleanup was necessary. One of the well-aimed cannon balls had hit the sleeping quarters, so that had to be fixed, too. Some enemies had ended up falling through the deck and into the cafeteria, where Kondor had luckily done some cleanup. Ace had been shocked that the drunken cook could fight that well. But, even though the old man had reacted quickly, and neutralized the threat, there was damage. Thatch had suggested separating the room into two different levels and lowering the ceiling for supplies. The idea had been accepted quickly. Ace had been assigned, along with most of the Second division, to the cafeteria.

"Are we going to use these?" The raven showed Leo the couple of toolboxes that had been stored in a wooden cargo container. The blonde nodded.

"Take them down. There are quite a few useful things in those." Leo laughed. "Thatch was actually looking for them a few months back, but I had no idea where they were." Ace nodded, picking up the heavy cargo box with ease. He passed Teach who was struggling with a pile of planks on his way down. A couple of guys from their division rushed to their comrade and helped him with the wood. Ace continued on his way down.

Kondor was in the cafeteria, attempting to do some kind of damage control. Apparently, the old pirate was very attached to the current design of the cafeteria. He didn't really appreciate the ceiling being lowered to accommodate more supplies, nor the fact that the Second division was making a raised part of the room. There was going to be a step that led to a higher positioned set of tables and chairs. Those were going to be cushioned, as the crew had agreed that they needed more comfortable seats. Sure, they were keeping their old ones, too, but they were leaving those in the wider part of the room.

"Please don't put that there! A-aaah~ Why is this even necessary?" The old pirate gave up and drank from his bottle. It wasn't a short sip, like usual, it was a deep gulp. Penny walked out from the kitchen and placed her small hand on the old cook's shoulder. She smiled at him encouragingly.

"It's going to be fine, Kondor-sensei-sama." She reassured him. "They know what they're doing." The small girl walked back into the kitchen and started setting glasses full of liquid onto the window counter. "Lemonade is ready, everyone!" She yelled out, causing most of the working pirates to take a break and go get a glass. Penny was a godsend, and no one could counter that. She was a little angel, always thinking about others. "The sandwiches are going to be ready in a moment." She informed the now chatting pirates and went farther into the kitchen to prepare them. Kondor gave a smile and took another small sip from his bottle. He saw Ace putting his load down.

"A-aaah~ Ace, my boy! Hungry yet? You've been working for a while." Ace shrugged.

"I'm fine for now. I had a great breakfast." He grinned at the old cook. The raven wiped his forehead, removing the sweat. He needed a shower. Bad. Soon, he promised himself. He needed to finish chores first. Leo arrived from the deck and headed straight for the lemonades. Ace laughed at him. The blonde gulped down one of the glassed and then came up to his former charge and the old cook.

"Is my pain funny, Ace?" The blonde wondered. He had been out in the heat, helping and trying to organize the Second division. He had basically been selected as acting Commander. In this mess, where they worked on their own, everyone agreed that they should go to Leo with their questions. The blonde wasn't ecstatic about it, but he was secretly happy. He liked being depended on. That meant that he was trusted.

Ace bent down and took a toolbox. He opened it, seeing the nails and hammers. He nodded to himself. "Hilarious, actually." He told Leo and ran away, not waiting for the answer. He needed to get some work done.

~~~~pb~~~~

Afternoon couldn't come quickly enough for Marco. Chores were impossible when they were doing repairs on the ship. Everyone had questions. Most of those were directed at the phoenix. The first mate wanted a break. Or a drink, or something. He ate a little bit of food with Thatch and Ace on the deck, as the cafeteria was out of order. Then he escaped the bickering duo and ended up sitting next to Pops, as usual. He wanted to tell the Captain about his newest discoveries about the traitor on board. He really did. But, it was a rather delicate issue.

"Pops, yoi." He greeted the old pirate. Whitebeard didn't respond. He did, however, look at his son. The blonde seemed troubled, even though his expression was schooled in his usual bored one.

"Have you decided to tell me about that issue now?" The old pirate began, voice deep, rumbling. "Have you discovered anything new?" Whitebeard took a sip from his sake cup, looking over his dancing and singing crew on deck. It sickened him that one of his precious sons had chosen to betray him. It was one of the unspoken rules on his ship. Protect your brothers. Trust your comrades. He could see that Marco was struggling with telling him what was on his mind. "Speak freely, son. I will not judge."

The phoenix sighed softly. "I received information that Penelope was our mole, yoi." Whitebeard frowned. "Of course, I chose to follow through, even though the information came from Jade." The old pirate reached for his bare chin, stroking it absent mindedly.

"I don't think that the little brat is capable of betrayal."

"She isn't, yoi." The first mate continued. "Upon further inquiry, I discovered that the tip was false, yoi. Penny is innocent. She wants to learn about navigation, though. She was adorable, yoi. She told me how she didn't want to be a bother to us." Marco laughed and Whitebeard joined in.

"Gurararara! Did she now?"

"Yes." Marco nodded. He reached behind Pop's chair and found one of the bottles in his stash. Everyone knew where the stash was. Even the nurses. They allowed him that small pleasure, though. "She wants to find her mother, yoi."

Whitebeard nodded. "Are you saying that my precious daughter has betrayed me, son?" The old pirate frowned at him.

"No." The first mate clarified. "I'm saying that the information didn't come from Jade, yoi." The blonde took a sip from the strong alcohol and put it back into the stash. Whitebeard frowned, but then his eyes narrowed. He flared his Haki in anger.

"Chameleone?" He rumbled, lowering his voice. Marco gave a small nod. The old man sighed and drank some more alcohol. "Thank you, son. This was not an easy task that I gave you."

"I know, yoi. It isn't going to get any easier." Marco inspected his hands, as if they were fascinating. "Should I call a Commanders meeting?" He asked, looking up at his Captain.

"Yes." Whitebeard said. "I want their opinions, but I will take care of it in the end. I also want to talk to Rakuyo. Chameleone is in his division." The old pirate drank some more booze.

"I understand, yoi." Marco agreed.

"Marco." The phoenix looked up at his Captain. "Do you think we made the wrong decision? Becoming a Yonko, creating a big family? Do you think it was better back then, when our territory was small and our friends were close to none?" Marco smiled.

"We all know that the name of Yonko means nothing to you, Pops, yoi. We know that you merely use it to protect our family." The phoenix paused, listening to the singing crew. "I miss the old days. But, I love the present, yoi. Just listen to them." For a moment, the two sat in silence, listening to the song and watching the dancing pirates.

"Gurararara!" The giant man laughed. "They do sound rather happy!"

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke to the sound of dripping water. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times through the darkness. Her body felt numb and a bit cold. The back of her head was throbbing uncomfortably. She looked down and noticed that her kimono was still on. She sighed in relief. The pilot inspected the room next. She couldn't see far. Thanking Bohai for the nth time for teaching her mantra, she allowed her senses to spread out and feel the room. She was alone. Ran looked back down, inspecting her restraints. They were strong. There was no way that she could break free. Bohai had told her about that other kind of mantra, the reinforcing kind, but she had never managed to learn it. She wished that she had worked harder.

Next, Ran closed her eyes. She let the room flood her senses. She spread her mantra as far as it would go. She was somewhere underground. In some kind of a basement. There was a leaky pipe to her left, dripping annoyingly. The smell of mold and rotten food was heavy in the air. She could feel the dust that had gathered under her arms and legs. She was still in the same house that Kage had brought her to. If not that one, then, she was in the same neighborhood. It wouldn't do any good for her to scream. If she remembered well, she was pretty far off the main street. The streets that Kage had led her through had been empty. The realization hit her like a brick wall. She was alone. In a basement. Unable to move. No one would help her.

Izo. She had come here with Izo. The Commander was smart. He would realize once she didn't come to the meeting place that something was wrong. He knew where she was going. He knew that she was going to meet the man named Erebus. He would come for her. Maybe he would come and find her body. Who knows how long it had been since she had met up with Kage. Minutes? Hours?

The reality crashed on her once more. Like ice cold water. No one was coming for her. She had chosen to be a lone Migratory Bird.

Panic gripped her and she opened her mouth and screamed her lungs out. She wasn't going to go down easy. Ran's voice cracked and she took one more breath. Screaming again, she could feel her throat getting rawer and rawer. She started struggling against the ropes while yelling. She couldn't get her hands free. Her legs were strapped tight, too, separated, each to one leg of the chair. She could feel something crackling under the toes of her right foot. Ran stilled for a second. Then, she started rocking left and right. Her chair fell on its side. She felt glass on the floor. Lucky, she thought and managed to catch one with her numb fingers. Ignoring the way the shards bit into her cheek, shoulder, hip and legs, she started trying to sever the binds. She heard a squeal somewhere above her head. Ew, she thought, rats.

"Well, well, well. She's on her way out." A deep male voice came from the dark. Ran cursed herself for not keeping her mantra alert. "You were right, she is rather street smart." She didn't know this man. Light burst into the room, showing Ran the mess that her mantra had felt out earlier. It looked like a right abandoned pigsty. She shivered at the thought that she was laying on the ground in that room.

"I'm always right." Ran knew that voice. Only it wasn't stuttering anymore. Looking up, she saw Kage. His eyes were as cold as they had been before her lights went out. His face was emotionless, the empathy, the nervousness, it had vanished from his body. His ponytail was up now, still just as messy. It gave her a clear view of his neck. When he turned around, she saw it. A Scorpio tattoo. It was wide on his skin, threatening somehow.

"I bet all that acting was annoying, eh?" The other man spoke, but Kage didn't react. Ran looked at him now. He was tall, taller than Kage and well built. While Kage was skinny and scrawny looking, this man was wide, muscular. His hair was short, almost nonexistent. His clothes were plain, black, making him blend into the background. But, when she looked between the new man and Kage, the latter seemed to go in and out of the shadows, as if he were a part of them, but the other seemed to try and escape into the darkness. The muscular man picked up Ran's chair and set it straight. He kicked at her hands, making her cut herself and drop the glass shard in pain. "That's better." He praised her, a sick smile on his face. He dragged one finger over the cut on her hands and bent so she could see him better. He raised the blood to his mouth and licked it off. Ran could bet that she would never forget his eyes. They were the same color as the blood that he lapped up with pleasure.

"Greetings from the Zodiacs." The man spoke.

**That's all for now, folks :D I'm so eeeebil!**

**A question for you guys, Zodiacs, good or evil? What do you think?**

**Wren (Cheese Queen :P ): I'm glad that I surprised you xD I'm usually really bad at making those unexpected plots and all that xD**

**Proof? Well, considering that Marco came to Whitebeard first with the inconsistency in reports, and the Captain asked him to find the leak, I don't think he really needs proof… At least not for Whitebeard, maybe for the Commanders meeting, though… Still, it's a pirate ship, you don't get less law that that… hehehehe~ **

**Ran… Ran needs a slap to the face. She is irritating sometimes… xD But, she is afraid of change, of being tied down. She has a bit of a realization moment in this chapter, though.. **

**I get what you mean with Izo and Thatch completing each other. While Izo is more of a thinker and a paranoid person, Thatch is easy going and trusting, a prankster. They are a pretty good fit in my opinion. For that hot and fast kind of love. Mmmmm xD**

**Durarara! is awesome :) I love the first opening, though! It used to be my alarm clock, and I still love it xD That says enough hahahahha**

**Hope you enjoyed :D**


	25. Lost

**Welcome, ladies and gents!**

**I figured I should ease your cliffie a bit ;)**

**Chapter 25: Lost – Krypteria**

"_Greetings from the Zodiacs." The man spoke._

Ran's mind went into overdrive. Zodiacs? That was the organization of assassins that had gotten her onto the wanted list. That was the group that was after Sita and the twins. She didn't know anything about them. Not one bit of information. Sita had told her to run if she ever met them. How in the world was she supposed to run? She was tied to a chair!

Besides, that man, Kage, he hadn't been suspicious at all. He had pulled Elder Pinjao's name, too. Probably to get her trust. Or maybe, he had pulled it because he had tortured the man for information. Maybe Elder Pinjao had given her contact after days of torture to save his life. She hoped that he was alright. She hoped that he wasn't dead. She remembered Sita's torture wound. The insects. She shuddered at the thought of Elder Pinjao with a wound like that. A dark thought struck her. She was next. Suddenly, she couldn't get the image of Sita's infected wound out of her head.

"She's quiet, Shadow." The big man spoke again, but this time to Kage. He pushed himself away from her and sat on one of the old, dusty tables, ignoring the rats that ran away when he did. "She was screaming just fine moments ago." He took out a toothpick from his pocket and cleaned his teeth absentmindedly. He grinned, snapping it in half. He threw one half at a rat, not even looking at it. The creature squealed when the wood pierced it and then continued whimpering until it bled out on the floor. Ran didn't look away from those crimson eyes. They were excited by the sounds the animal was making. If she looked away, that giant man with the insane eyes and wide, bloodthirsty smirk, he would come after her next. She was going to lay on this dirty floor, smelling of rot and mold, until she, too, bled out. The assassin was enjoying the pure, raw fear in her eyes.

"Back off, Taurus." Kage ordered. The big man, Taurus, frowned at his partner. Obviously, there was some tension between them. Taurus stood and walked to Kage. He stood over a head taller than the lanky man.

"Fuck you." Taurus spit the other half of the toothpick into Kage's face. Ran stared at them, quiet. She forced her head to clear. She had a way out. They obviously weren't used to working together. She could play that. Turn them against each other. She was not going to give up.

"Focus." Kage spoke and walked away from the tall man. He came closer to Ran, and she held her breath. "We don't want to hurt you, Sparrow pilot. We want information." Taurus frowned and walked over. He caught Kage's shoulder and pulled him away from the girl.

"We don't want to hurt her? I do!" Kage shook his head, almost looking disappointed. "I want to slice her open. Carve up her pretty, unmarked body. Give her a makeover, if you will. Her blood tastes so sweet." He reached his hand forward, aiming for her face. For her eyes. Ran flinched away from him, eyes going shut. She was scared. Terrified. Was he going to rip her eyes out? The fingers of his hand brushed some of the loose strands of her hair back, almost gently. Ran flinched away from those bloodied hands. "Shadow." Taurus suddenly growled. Ran peeked at them and saw Kage gripping Taurus's forearm in a vice grip. His grey eyes were on the red ones, flashing in warning. "What the hell are you doing?"

Kage pushed Taurus away, making him let go of Ran's hair. "We want her cooperation." He looked to Ran then. "We want your cooperation. If you choose not to cooperate, I will be forced to let Taurus interrogate you. Do you understand what that means?" Ran gave a shaky nod. She was going to die if that man interrogated her. And it wasn't going to be quick.

Taurus smirked. "Did you like my joke?" He asked, causing Kage to rub his forehead in annoyance. "Did you?" His voice was slightly raised now, making Ran jump slightly. His eyes were focused on hers. "Ah, you didn't understand my joke." He laughed throatily. Kage murmured something that sounded like 'give me strength'. Ran was too terrified. If she weren't, she probably would've laughed. "The package that I gave you? It was your friend Pinjao's heart." He laughed again.

Ran froze, her blood going cold in her veins. She felt herself going pale and became sick to her stomach. Elder Pinjao was dead. They had given her his heart. Heart. The warm, bloody package. They had given her his heart. She felt her throat closing, and she couldn't breathe. The room was closing in on her, her head was spinning. She couldn't breathe. The walls were becoming closer and closer. Black spots appeared in her vision. Ran passed out, hyperventilating.

"Gah." Taurus remarked. "She's out." He laughed. "I got her good, right?" He asked Kage. The other assassin frowned at him, silver eyes glaring.

"How did I get stuck with you?" He murmured into his chin. He was going to have a looooong day.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace stumbled onto the deck. He was beat. His hands hurt like hell. He had never done so much hammering in his life. Now, he understood why Marco kept telling him not to harm the ship. Whitebeard repairs were brutal to say the least. When they remodeled, they remodeled. Like insane. So here was Ace, sore, stumbling on the deck. The sun was slowly going down, setting the sea aflame and basking the new planks of the ship in an orange glow. There were pirates here and there, laughing and partying. The drinking had already started, as usual. Sundown was like a signal for the start of their celebration. Pirates celebrated life. They partied for their freedom. They sang and enjoyed each day like there was no tomorrow. Because, there could be no tomorrow.

The raven leaned against the railing, resting. His ribs hurt a bit when he breathed. It was going to be fine. Maybe he should go to the doc, though. Just in case, he figured. However, his master plan was interrupted when he smelled grilled fish. He looked around, searching for the grill, but he didn't find it. Kondor brought the big grill out to the deck for the more official parties. It would be strange for him to get it out today. So, where was the smell coming from? The raven looked around, searching for the source. He saw some kind of smoke coming from one of the crow's nests. Without any hesitation, Ace headed upwards. The raven reached his destination soon enough. He had climbed that rigging a thousand times, after all. He wasn't expecting to see Thatch.

The Commander jumped slightly when he saw Ace. "Get in!" He hush-yelled, his hand motioning for the raven to hurry up. The young pirate jumped in swiftly. The Commander had set up a small grill and built his own fire. There was a large fish on the net, crackling softly and smelling heavenly. Ace had heard rumors about Thatch being an amazing cook, but he had never gotten the chance to try the man's food.

Ace gave a sly smirk to Thatch. "What are you doing there, Commander Thatch?" The pompadour started sweating profusely.

"Ah, I-I caught this little thing this morning." The pompadour stumbled over his words, nervous. "I figured that I should prepare it for us, Ace! I was just about to call you!" The raven laughed at this.

"Nice save." He commented and plopped down. "Need any help?" He asked the Commander, even though the man seemed to have it all under control. He looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself, which wasn't something that you saw often. Sure, Thatch laughed, danced, sang, joked and all that. But, this was a new expression on the Commander's face. One that Ace hadn't seen before. The pompadour looked so at peace, like he was in another place with his mind. He truly loved cooking.

"Nah. I'm good." Thatch answered. "Make yourself comfortable. It'll be done soon." He flipped the sizzling fish gingerly.

"What kind of fish is that?" Ace wondered. "I've never seen it before." Ace fished a lot. When you didn't know what to do on a ship, you could always fish. Ace had done a lot of that. But, it's not like he knew every single species of fish, even though he had seen many. This one, it was his first time seeing it.

"It's a rare species. I think it's quite delicious. When prepared right, of course. When it's cooked poorly, it's very bitter." Thatch produced a pair of knives, seemingly out of nowhere and cut the fish expertly. He separated the halves, leaving them both on the heated net, hardened skin first. With the tip of his knife he pushed the spine out and slowly pried it off. It gave way, taking most of the bones with it. Ace watched with fascination as the Commander threw the bones away and salted the meat with some kind of a spice. Next, the pompadour put the halves on two plates, handing Ace his.

"Thanks." The raven said, breathing in the pleasant smell of the fish. He couldn't wait to try it.

Thatch passed him a half of a lemon. "Enjoy." He said, a grin on his face. "You don't get to eat something like this every day, trust me." Ace squeezed the lemon juice over his meat and happily dug in. His eyes widened at the taste. He looked up to Thatch, who had closed the grill and sat down. The pompadour was grinning, waiting for Ace's reaction.

"This is amazing!" The raven supplied and started eating at a worrisome speed. The Commander laughed.

"Glad you enjoy my cooking." He, too started eating. Ace finished too fast for his liking. He sat there, eyeing Thatches food enviously. The Commander ignored him, though.

"You should cook more often." Ace said, eyes following every single bite the man took.

"Mmmm." Replied Thatch through his food, but he wouldn't be deterred. He knew that looking up and seeing the puppy eyes, he would give in and hand over more food to the raven. He would last. He sped up the movement of his chopsticks, careful of the small bones. Ace snorted, and then laughed, giving up. He decided that it was time to head to the kitchen and get some more food. Maybe he should've saved the fish for last.

"Have you heard from Izo?" Ace suddenly asked, causing Thatch to cough.

"Why would I be in contact with Izo? There's nothing between us!" The Commander said when he regained his breath. Ace raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that there was." He said slowly. "It's just that, your division was on communications today… Never mind. I'll just call Ran." The raven decided and stood up, leaving his plate on the seat. "Thanks for the food." With that, he left Thatch in the crow's nest to stare at his plate uneasily.

~~~~pb~~~~

It was pretty late when Thatch wandered below deck and headed for the medical wing absentmindedly. He wasn't sure why he was going there. Well, he knew the general idea of why he was heading there. But, he wasn't sure if that was what he wanted. The Commander stopped, leaning against the wall for a second. His mind kept going back and forth. He pushed off the wall and walked forward again. It was when Thatch arrived before the doc's office door that he stopped again, debating. He wasn't sure if he should enter or not. He must've raised his hand a dozen times, before letting it fall back down to his side. He couldn't knock. He was weak. Thatch sighed, deciding to leave.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" A voice came from behind him. He whirled around, as if caught stealing sweets. Sure enough, there was doc, in her white lab coat and the usual short red skirt and white sleeveless shirt. Her hair was straightened for a change and Thatch felt the usual pang in his abdomen that he felt around attractive women. A grin split his face and he let his eyes roam her breasts shamelessly. Doc frowned. "Great. You've moved from staring at my door to staring at my boobs. Lucky me." She said sarcastically and walked forward. "I've bandaged one too many arms and legs today, Thatch, either leave or come in." Doc seemed tired. She walked around the Commander and opened the door to her office/bedroom. She usually slept on the hospital bed anyways.

Surprisingly, Thatch followed her in. Doc walked forwards, dropping her clipboard onto her desk. She brushed her hair out of her face with a sigh. Her eyes were starting to hurt. She had spent two days sleeping with Marco. It had been heaven. He made her demons vanish. Her dreams had been peaceful. Last night, she hadn't gone to the phoenix. She had noticed that he was tired. Doc had figured out what was happening quickly. He was sleeping less when she was beside him. So, she did the only logical thing. She stopped coming to his room.

"I-I can talk to you, right?" Thatch asked. Doc turned to see him sitting on her bed, looking at his hands nervously. He was shifty. She raised her eyebrows, but didn't comment. "You know, the whole doctor patient confidentiality?" The Commander looked at her now. Jade gave another sigh and settled down into her chair, rubbing her temples gingerly.

"I'm a pirate, Thatch." Doc spoke gently. "I don't really have to respect those rules." Thatch stared at her incredulously.

"Just humor me, alright?" He told her. Doc nodded with a small smile. "I-I-ah- fuck…" Thatch dropped his head into his hands, sighing. Doc gave him a weird look and stood up. She headed to the burner and started heating up the water. She would wait for him. "I don't know where to begin." He finally said.

"I understand." Her voice had gone deep, soothing. That was her doctor voice. "Why don't you start by telling me what's bothering you so much?" The water boiled while they sat in silence and doc poured it in two cups. She dunked a passionflower bag into each and put a small lid on top.

"I…" Thatch began once more. "I think there's something wrong with me." The Commander finally said. Doc walked to the man. She gave him one cup, accepting the small 'thanks' that he gave and sat back down into her chair.

"What do you mean?"

Thatch placed his cup carefully onto the nightstand. "I'm not gay." He said adamantly. Doc's eyebrows rose. "I love women. I adore women." She was pretty sure that her eyebrows had vanished into her hair by now. "It was an accident, you know. We were both drunk. And I just- he just- you know… argh…" Thatch paused, his head dropping into his hands once again.

"And you think, that because you slept with a man, you are gay?" Doc asked carefully. Thatch raised his head back up.

"No- yes. Wait. No. I don't know. It's just. It's confusing, you know?" The man was obviously going nuts with the ideas swimming in his head. Doc gave him another gentle smile. "I mean, we are comrades. Bothers. I can't possibly be… I'm surrounded by men! That must be it! I need to be around women!" Thatch got up, suddenly excited. Doc, too, rose to her feet. Her hands caught his upper arms, trying to calm him down.

"Why don't you try to calm down, Thatch. Drink some tea." She pushed him back onto the bed gently, her hands rubbing his biceps in comfort.

"Yes. Yes. Of course." Thatch grabbed the cup and blew on the hot tea. He sipped it slowly. Doc let a moment pass before she spoke once more. The man was clearly at his wit's end. She wasn't equipped to deal with sexuality confusion.

"Why don't you listen to me for a moment?" She asked and Thatch nodded calmly. "There are different types of sexuality. Heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality and asexuality are the four groups that you usually hear about." Thatch opened his mouth, but doc didn't let him interrupt. "So, naturally, there are people who don't fall into the first two categories. I'm not saying that you're bisexual or anything. I'm just trying to give you some perspective." Thatch sat there for a moment. He sipped some more tea and put the cup back onto the nightstand.

"You think I'm bisexual?" He finally asked. Doc shrugged.

"That's up to you to figure out, Thatch. The skies are not falling down on us." She gave him a small smile again. Thatch chuckled.

"I don't know what to think." He whispered.

"Do you get aroused when you think about women?" She asked him bluntly. Thatch looked up, not even blushing.

"Yes." He answered right away.

"Do you get aroused when you think about that man that you slept with?" She asked once more, still blunt as hell. Thatch dropped his head into his hands once more and murmured something. "I didn't catch that." Doc told him.

"Yes." Thatch told her quietly, reluctantly. He was nervous and embarrassed.

"Then, you may just be attracted to that one man." Doc said simply. Thatch stared at her for a moment. He reached for his tea and drank it in one gulp.

"Thanks." He told her finally. Doc gave him a smile and got up. Thatch rose on instinct, too.

"Why don't you sleep on it?" Doc suggested, patting his arm gently. The Commander nodded automatically, in a zombie-like state. He left her office and headed to his bed. Doc sighed, closing the door behind the troubled Commander. "I keep telling them that I'm not a psychiatrist." She murmured.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke up once again. Her mouth felt dry. She needed to pee. Her whole side stung terribly. She woke in the darkness and felt terrified on instinct right away. She remembered the events and started looking around the room again. The dripping was still a constant to her left. She wanted to cry. Elder Pinjao was dead. Ran was cold, tired and in pain. She needed to call someone. Ace. Izo. Sita. Shrimp. She needed to hear a familiar voice right now.

"Good, you have awoken." Kage's voice came from her right and she whimpered. The man appeared from the shadows, as if spilling from them. Ran noticed the short blades, wakizashi, at least two of them, on his hip. They were black, just like the current outfit that the assassin was wearing. It consisted of hakama and kosode, making him look like a shihakusho wearing Death god. If Ran had to choose between her captors, she preferred Kage.

A cup made contact with her lower lips and she allowed the assassin to tilt her head back, some water dribbling down her chin. Kage didn't bother wiping it off. Ran decided to be brave.

"I need to go to the bathroom." She complained. Her voice cracked a few times. Her throat was raw and hurt horribly. Kage assessed her with cold, gray eyes. He nodded with a jerk of his head. The man undid her leg binds and Ran felt blood start flowing into her feet again. He walked to the back of the chair and undid the ropes on her hands next. Ran wanted to run. She wanted to escape. But, her body was numb from the hours that she had spent in that chair, in the same position, bound tight. She tried to get up, but her legs betrayed her and she headed towards the floor. Kage appeared in front of her, catching her.

"The feeling will return into your limbs soon." He pulled her up, forcing her to stand. Ran winced at the prickly feeling in her legs. She couldn't feel them at all. Kage tugged her to the side and pushed her at the wall. Ran managed to catch herself against the wet stones just in time. She had almost slammed her head against it. She quickly pushed away from the wall, disgusted. Her gloves were smeared with both Elder Pinjao's blood and the dirty slime from the stones. She looked at Kage, expecting him to show her to the bathroom. He looked down. Ran followed his gaze and froze. There was a bucket on the floor. A bucket. He wanted her to pee in a bucket.

"No." Ran said, turning to him. Kage shrugged. He went towards her, reaching for her to tie her back to the chair. "Wait! Wait." He stopped. "Will you turn around?" She asked. She really needed to pee.

"Why should I turn around?" He asked her, like he didn't understand. Ran gave him an exasperated look.

"I'm a woman. I need privacy." She argued.

"I do not see the issue. I have seen naked women before. I have tortured naked women before." Kage deadpanned. Ran felt the leftover blood in her face drain. She was pretty sure that she was shaking from terror. If she survived, she would tell this story to Ace, so that they could laugh together. Because the situation was absolutely ridiculous. Here she was, held captive by assassins and debating whether he was going to be a pervert about her going to the bathroom or not.

"Please?" She asked, putting a brave front. "I mean, it's not like I could hurt you anyways." She was babbling now. "I don't fight." She was aware that she was babbling. "You are a thousand times stronger than me. Besides, you have a partner, and I'm alone. And-"

"Alright. I accept your conditions." Kage turned, opening his back to her. Ran didn't even think about attacking him. She dropped her underwear and did her business quickly. The pilot watched Kage carefully. He never reacted to the sounds that she made. He never even twitched. The assassin kept his word. When she was done, Ran pulled her panties back up and fixed her kimono a bit. She could feel her feet again. Her side stung like hell. Obviously, she still had some glass imbedded in it.

"I'm done." She said, making Kage turn slowly. Attacking him would've been stupid. He was strong. Maybe as strong as Sita. She could gauge power well by the way the small hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Kage walked to her, grabbing her arm. He led her back to the chair and tied her up once again. His cold eyes scanned her and then he left the room, not asking a single question. Ran felt her fear fade slightly, replaced by confusion.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace woke up in the middle of the night. He looked around and realized that he wasn't in his usual hammock. Right. A part of the sleeping quarters was out of order. He shook his head and got out of the sleeping bag. The raven headed for the deck, his head feeling somewhat heavy. He grabbed a random rum bottle on the way and took a sip. The burn was welcome, making him feel alive. The taste reminded him of Ran. Everything reminded him of Ran. The first time he had drunk with her, they had drunk rum, too. They had always drunk rum together. His sleep had been cut short by his dreams of Ran. Actually, she was haunting him. Was this the 'thinking about the person you like' thing that people described? Ace didn't know. He didn't mind the dreams, though. He was pretty sure that Ran would like to try out some of the things his unconscious mind came up with.

"Awake so late, Ace-sama?" The raven turned only to see Penny behind him. For a change, she didn't have her apron on. She gave him one of those sweet, innocent smiles. Ace grinned at her.

"Hey, Penny." He answered. "I woke up." He explained. Penny nodded and went to the railing that he was sitting on. She leaned on her elbows and stared out to the calm, dark sea. "Why are you up?" Ace wondered.

"I couldn't sleep." She whispered. Ace looked to the small girl, noticing how far away she looked. He turned, watching the same horizon that she was. He realized that, since the hostage incident, he hadn't really hung out with Penny. Well, he had been near her, talked to her, but they had always been in a group. Before the incident, they had always had some time alone, just talking. He missed that.

"Do you still have nightmares?" He asked cautiously. Penny shrugged.

"Sometimes I do." She answered. Penny looked at him, now, turning away from the sea. "I met Ran-san." She changed the topic skillfully. Ace felt a grin make its way onto his face on reflex. Gods, he had it bad. Penny gave him a small smile when he saw his reaction. "She is a very energetic woman." Penny concluded.

Ace started laughing. "You have no idea." He told Penny. She gave him a disbelieving look. "No, I don't mean like that!" Ace raised his hands in defense. "I mean, she is energetic. Often hyper, too. That's why she's so fun, though. You have no idea what she will do next."

"She keeps Ace-sama on his toes." Penny summarized. The smile on her face never fell. Ace focused on the small cook next to him. She really was adorable. Ace briefly wondered why she didn't have a boyfriend or a lover yet. Then, he remembered that Penny had been enslaved. You don't just forget that kind of experience. Then again, she had confessed to him. And he had rejected her. No, he had rejected her even before she had confessed. Ace felt guilt eat its way through his stomach.

"Do you ever think about anyone in that way?" The raven wondered. Penny gave another small shrug. Calypso, her shoulders were tiny, Ace thought. Penny started twirling her hair nervously.

"Sometimes." She said. "But, I don't look for an adventure in a man. I look for stability." She spoke, getting a dreamlike look in her eyes. There was a blush on Penny's face, too. "I want someone strong, smart and gentle. Someone who will accept me for me. Someone to take care of me." She kind of drifted off into her own little lala land.

Ace gave a small smirk. "You're looking for a prince charming then?" He teased.

Penny's whole face went bright red. "No! No! I mean- yes… sure. I may be looking for someone like that." She admitted shyly, looking down. Ace laughed.

"I'm glad that I didn't return your confession then." Penny looked up to him, a bit shocked. She noticed that Ace had a sad look on his face. "I'm the farthest that you will find from a prince charming." He told her.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Morning sunshine." A voice woke up Ran. She opened her eyes into the darkness. She was still in the basement. Her mouth was dry again. But, on the upside, she didn't need to pee, since Kage had given her minimal water. She couldn't tell the time anymore. It seemed like she had been there for days. Weeks. She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to die. She wasn't going to betray Sita. She was going to die.

"Aweee, look at her, Shadow!" Taurus exclaimed, pulling her face slightly up. He brushed the side that was full of glass on purpose. He enjoyed blood. Ran had found that out fast. When Kage was gone, Taurus would come down and 'play' with her. Thankfully, it was never sexual. He tortured her. He would cut her and then pour alcohol over those wounds. He put different kind of salts on her open gashes, causing them to sting even worse than when he poured booze. He liked it when she screamed. That's why she never did.

"Move away from her, Taurus." Kage said. He was the nicer one. He gave her water. He asked her questions, too. She never answered him. He asked where Scorpio was. That was his favorite question. He kept asking where that person was. Ran had told him. She didn't know a Scorpio. So, Taurus cut her. Whenever she said she didn't know, the big man would hack and slash. She was counting in the beginning. Keeping track of all the wounds. But, now, she didn't know anymore. Maybe fifty something? Or was she in the low seventies already? She wanted to die.

"Why, Shadow? I like her like this?" Taurus bent down and licked the newest of her cuts. It was a long slash on her neck, just missing her carotid artery. He had been careful not to kill her too soon. He liked to play. He liked the blood.

Kage sighed. "Because we need her alive for a bit longer. After I'm done, you may have her." Ran didn't care anymore. She felt dead. Even if she survived, she doubted that she would ever be alive again. They will kill her, just like they killed Elder Pinjao. She regretted never saying goodbye to her mother. She regretted never talking to her father. She regretted never going for drinks in that fancy new bar with Bohai and Shrimp. She regretted never telling Izo just how important he was to her. She regretted never telling Ace just how much she loved him. She regretted never flying all around in the Sparrow. She regretted never teaching Daithi everything she knew about AGT. She regretted a lot. Ran wanted to cry.

"Tell me about Scorpio, Sparrow pilot." Kage spoke once more. She had grown to hate his voice. Suddenly, rage boiled inside of her. She was angry. She had so much to live for, and there they were, making her feel like she should die. She hated them. She despised them. Something that she rarely did. No, maybe she didn't hate and despise them. Maybe she hated and despised herself. For entertaining the idea of dying. Her eyes opened and she glared at Kage. She saw surprise flash in his silver orbs at the fire in hers.

"I don't know any Scorpio!" She yelled at him suddenly, her body lurching forward, despite the ropes. She started struggling like insane, hoping that her arms would get free. Hoping that her joints would dislocate so that she could run away. Because, if she did get free, she would run. "I don't know any Scorpio! Fuck you!" And then she started screaming again. She was screaming like hell. Taurus laughed somewhere in the background. He was enjoying this. She could feel her lips cracking and her throat getting rawer. Ran's voice broke, but she never stopped screaming. She could hear a song in the back of her head. A comforting sound of a Sparrow singing. Then, a crash sounded and glass was flying everywhere. Ran closed her eyes on instinct. People were yelling, shouting. There were sounds of a struggle, of some sort of combat. Someone shot a gun. Taurus cursed and something crashed, making the whole room shake. A gentle flutter of cloth sounded right in front of her and Ran smelled the familiar expensive perfume. She finally opened her eyes and saw pink with small, delicate red flowers all over it.

"Forgive me, sweetie. I had a bit of trouble finding you, love." She was never so happy to see Izo in her life before.

**That's all folks!**

**anniewanny2: Welcome back, love :D Hope that this quick update eased your cliffie tension a bit ;) Thanks for the wonderful compliments! **

**Glad that you liked the JadexMarco thing :D I enjoyed it, too. Marco is a challenge, with his iron control… But I think doc will take care of that easily hehehehe~ Wonder what will happen when he finally lets go :3 **

**Don't worry about repeating yourself, I adore reviews! And I love your comments :D I know that a lot of AcexOC stories are a bit see-through, as in, they focus on only one character and get a bit annoying after a while. I 'm trying to keep it as interesting as possible :) (even though I have a ton of OCs xD)**

**I adored the beginning of last chapter xD It made me soooo happy :) I figured that you guys would appreciate some action, even though I am bordering the T rating ahahahhahaha I'm glad that you didn't want it to be a dream, because I was aiming for that xD**

**I hope this update was fast enough? :P I eat reviews and spit out chapters hahahahaha**

**Wren: Heheheheeeee~ heheeeee~ Glad you liked it :D I was like, this has to end funny :P So, Leo's face or Ran's body…. Perfect! The song just sort of fit :D Miyavi is so *Q* Miiiiyaviiiiiiiiiiii :3**

**I hope that this chapter explores her state of mind even more. Ran is growing, a lot. I think that if you want to write a good story of any kind, you need to have your character grow during it.**

**Chameleone aaaah sloooowly getting there xD He was supposed to be a small side story, but it kind of took flight, and I don't really mind it. I suppose my story is getting more and more complicating as I go xD I hope that my mind blabber isn't too confusing :P**

**Zodiacs are amazing in my opinion. I mean, they are neutral. They are the product of the corrupt world, they are insane people who live for money or murder. I think that they were inspired by Genei Ryodan, or the Phantom Troupe from Hunter x Hunter. We'll see what happens with Ran and them, eh?**

**I hope this chapter solved your Sita + twins dilemma :D**

**Until next time :)**


	26. Oh My Juliet

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**I know, another fast update xD Last in the series, though (annie kind of challenged me xD) My exams end on 4****th****, so I will update when they are done :D**

**Anyways, here we go,**

**Chapter 26: Oh My Juliet – LM.C (this is the most awesome band everrr! I adore Maya :D I suggest you guys look up the lyrics if you are following my playlist, this chapter was actually inspired by this song :3 )**

It all happened so fast. Taurus flew towards Izo, and Ran's heart jumped to her throat. The man was bigger than the Commander. He looked huge in the pilot's eyes. She looked around, trying to find Kage. The other Zodiac had melted into the shadows.

"No hellos? How rude!" Izo commented. He fired the gun from his right hand a couple of times, but Taurus evaded. Ran could see the Zodiac's body going black with armor mantra. Izo's aura rose, too, making her feel dizzy. It was like the air itself was electric and she was breathing fire. Her head became hot and heavy, but she forced her eyes open. If she could help Izo just by giving him a pair of extra eyes, she would.

Izo's foot came up in a round kick, his geta making a dull clank when it connected with Taurus's reinforced head. The Commander fired a few rounds into the dark where Kage had vanished at the same time. Taurus cursed and tried to get up from the ground, pushing against Izo's foot. The cross-dresser allowed him to rise, however, Izo's gun was trained on the Zodiac. Ran saw the shock and worry on the assassin's face when he saw the gun. Izo shot reinforced bullets. They were trouble, even if the Zodiac was using the armor mantra. Kage spilled from the shadows suddenly, wakizashi out at the ready, aiming for Izo's abdomen.

"Right!" Ran squeaked from her spot in warning. Izo knew, though, even before she warned him. Two Zodiacs were a lot, even for a Commander. Izo was completely alert. Serious. His left hand appeared below his right and he fired his second gun. Kage caught the bullets against his blades, deflecting them. One of his wakizashi broke.

"Welcome to the party, dear." Izo baited. He wanted them angry. He wanted them to slip up. They were very skilled. Unless they slipped up, Izo's chances of winning without major injuries were slim to none. He fired at Taurus. Kage kicked his partner out of the way in a second. Ran saw that Kage's face was expressionless. His eyes were stone cold. He didn't care about this fight. He didn't care about his partner. He simply didn't care. And it scared the hell out of Ran.

The pilot took a deep breath, trying to stay awake. With the blood loss, and all the pain, she felt ice cold and on her way to the sweet abyss. But, Izo was here, not in the darkness. She needed to stay with Izo.

"Let's go!" Kage suddenly growled, blocking Izo's shots. Ran saw Taurus rise. He wiped a small trail of blood from his cheek where the bullet had nicked him. The bloodthirsty grin was back on his face. He licked his finger clean from the blood, smirking.

"I'm not going anywhere." Taurus rumbled. He was just getting started. Ran knew what he was capable of. He had dunked her into a bucket of ice cold water many times, waited until she was at the very edge between life and death and then pulled her out. He had sliced her open as she watched, licking his knife from time to time. He had poured things on her wounds, making them hurt like never before. He had told her things. Things that she never wanted to hear again in her entire life. Things about what he had done to other people, and what he would do to her. Promises. Promises that she would never be able to forget. Ran screamed. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was crying, too.

Izo threw a look at her, worried. Ran's voice broke and she stayed there, sobbing inconsolably. The Commander felt heartbroken at the sight. Here was his strong, independent girl friend tied up, cut, bruised and sobbing like there was no tomorrow.

"The client was specific about our instructions. Do not attract unwanted attention." Kage spoke. "Angering a Yonko is unwanted attention. Let's move." Izo glared at the assassin, but didn't move. Taurus was looking at Izo like he wanted to eat him. The Zodiac wanted the Commander's blood.

"You can go to hell for all I care, Shadow." The big assassin growled. "I'm going to carve this one up." He stepped forward, raising his fist. Izo prepared to defend when Kage tripped Taurus, causing him to fall flat on his face. "You bastard!" The assassin jumped up and got into his partner's face. One of his large hands gripped Kage's kosode tightly and pulled him up. Izo watched in amusement as the smaller assassin's feet rose a couple of centimeters off the ground. However, Kage's face didn't change. It was just as expressionless as it had been when the Commander had crashed into the basement. "Mind your rank, bastard! You are a mere shadow of the former Scorpio, you son of a bitch! You are a servant, a foot soldier! And I, I am Taurus, I am a Commanding Officer!" Taurus growled, his spit showering Kage's face in his raw anger.

Izo moved a step back, being careful not to alert them to his intentions. He could read the situation well. The two assassins were terrible partners. That was a nice loophole for Izo. True, he couldn't take down two high ranking Zodiacs on his own and get away unscathed, but... These two. He could escape them with Ran easily. They were a mess. Izo threw one more glance at the trembling pilot. She had gone quiet, her head down. She looked miserable. Izo kept his eyes on the duo and shot two bullets without looking back. They severed the ropes on Ran's legs easily. The two assassins didn't even react. Taurus kept yelling at Kage, and the shadow merely stared back, with no emotions on his face.

Izo kept his body in front of Ran, like a protective wall. He moved further back, reaching his arm behind Ran. He fired one more shot, getting her hands free. The pilot slouched forward, hitting Izo's back. She was still shaking, both from cold and from her tears. The Commander felt the back of his kimono become wet. That was Ran's blood. It was his friend's blood on his clothes. Izo grit his teeth. He wanted to shoot these men in front of him in their foreheads. He wanted to kill them. No. Not execute. He wanted to cut them up the same way that they cut up Ran. But, he would hold back. The pilot was his priority. Izo pushed one of his guns into his obi and picked up Ran's body carefully. She allowed it and weakly gripped his kimono.

"You're going to be fine, love. I've got you." The pink Commander whispered, and noticed how she immediately reacted. The pilot gave a tiny nod into his neck and her shaking lessened.

"Going somewhere?" Taurus had finally stopped yelling at his partner and turned to the Commander. He dropped Kage back on the ground. Izo saw him reinforce his hand again. "It's not very nice you know. To leave the party early." He gave Izo a bloodthirsty grin.

"I guess I'm not a very polite man, then." Izo retorted and jumped towards the whole that he had made when he crashed in. Taurus laughed and flew after the Commander. Izo managed to avoid the hit, using Taurus as a step to head upwards. He heard a crash behind him. The Commander threw a look back after he secured his footing. The damage that Taurus had done on the wall was impressive. The house shook and started going down. Izo turned away and ran, not looking back. He had gotten everything that he needed.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace found that he loved Wano Kuni. It was beautiful. First, they were conservative. They didn't know a lot about the outside and they didn't carry the prejudice and stereotypes that he often faced. Second, they had their own, beautiful culture that enticed Ace. And third, they had delicious food. Ace didn't understand why Izo had ever chosen to leave.

In the first couple of days, Ace had met tons of people. The most memorable of his new friends was Koto. He was a young samurai-to-be, a warrior of Wano, who came from a long line of blacksmiths. His father crafted beautiful katana and wakizashi, while his mother was a geisha, an artist. The relationship between his mother and father was forbidden, as she had worked in an establishment full time. However, the woman had chosen to be just a performer after she met Koto's father. She had chosen to give up almost everything for the man, and she earned little, only the tips that the customers gave when she played her favorite instrument, the koto. Her son was sad, as he often saw her looking at the only kimono she had been allowed to keep. It was an expensive, lush one, which she kept re-folding nostalgically. That is also one of the reasons why Koto had chosen to train to become a samurai. He wanted to regain his family's honor.

Koto had been very interested in the outside world. He had asked Ace so many questions and pleaded for the raven to ask Whitebeard to take him with them to the sea. The young pirate kept evading those pleads, though. The samurai-to-be reminded him of Luffy a bit too much. He couldn't be the one to take him out to the sea and make him a wanted man. So, Ace evaded.

Marco had been AWOL most of the time. He loved Wano Kuni because he could find a nice warrior to spar with and not hold back. To say the least, the phoenix was ecstatic. His mood had gotten much better. He spent his evenings with the partying crew, which was the attraction on the whole town, laughing and dancing. Ace had never seen the man so happy. He didn't think that the iron willed Commander could be so carefree. However, since they were docked in a friendly port, he wasn't worried about enemies, so the phoenix partied like hell. Ace learned that he should never join a drinking contest with Thatch and Marco in it. The mere thought of it made his head hurt. Those two could drink.

Leo, on the other hand, mostly stuck to one of the people from their division. Ace didn't really get why, but the blonde was a bit anxious. One day, the raven asked him. Leo told him how the culture of Wano reminded him of where he had grown up. The strict regime. The 'proper' way of speaking. The position of women in the society. Leo couldn't stand it. Even though it was not his home country, he felt like it was. So, he chose to stay away from people. He was either on the ship or with someone somewhere in the wild. Ace could respect that, even though he wished that Leo had come with him and Koto to the places the young samurai-to-be had taken him to. He was used to hanging out with his former mentor. They did most of their chores together, after all.

Thatch had taken Leo's spot during their time in Wano. Of course, that was only when he wasn't chasing the women. It was like the Commander had undergone some kind of sexual craze awakening and was even wilder than usual. Ace loved Thatch. He really did. But the pompadour tended to be a bit too much sometimes. Koto seemed to find the Commander's ways highly embarrassing. He would blush whenever Thatch made an inappropriate comment and he would scold the pompadour. Ace found it all quite adorable.

The raven didn't see much of either Penny or Kondor. Since the Whitebeard Pirates were considered friendly, the town provided food and lodging, if anyone wanted to sleep on dry land. That came at a perfect time, since they were still working on repairing the ship. Ace was a bit excited about getting a bed, rather than a hammock. He missed his bed from time to time. He didn't miss Luffy crawling into it, though. His younger brother was a right pain, no matter how much he loved the little rubber troublemaker. Anyways, Penny and Kondor had gone to explore the culinary culture. The old cook was mostly familiar with it, but the tiny girl wasn't. This was like a dream fieldtrip for her.

"Ace-dono, you're burning it again." Koto gained Ace's attention successfully. The raven looked down at his kasa in progress and groaned. He quickly patted the rice straw, putting out the small flame.

"Fuck." The raven swore, causing Koto to blush. The samurai-to-be was slowly getting used to all the swear words that his new friend used. He still blushed, but, he was slowly getting over it. "Sorry." The raven apologized. Koto shook his head.

"It's fine, Ace-dono. If I ever want to go out to the sea I need to get used to the crude language of the outside world." The teen spoke. Ace laughed.

"It's not everyone, it's mostly the pirates, Koto. I was corrupted by them, too." His hands kept trying to fix the hat while he talked. "Can this be saved?" He finally gave up and handed the ruined work to the teen. Koto inspected it with pity. He shook his head slowly. "Damn." Ace sighed. "Can you help me start the new one?" Ace looked expectantly. Koto gave him a smile and nodded. He swiftly started weaving a new kasa. Soon, the teen handed it to Ace to continue.

"Hey, Ace!" Thatch ran towards them, thankfully alone. He panted for a second and then spoke again. "Izo finally contacted us." The Commander didn't look like he was bringing good news. "Ran's been hurt." Ace dropped his kasa-in-progress, his hands shaking. They felt icy. He jumped up, his face grave.

"What do you mean Ran's been hurt?" The raven asked. Thatch shook his head. Ace ran towards the ship like he had never run before. Koto sat, hands on the kasa still, confused.

"What's a Ran?" The samurai-to-be asked. Thatch gave him a weak smile.

"Ace's current…errr… romantic interest?" He tried to define their relationship. Koto looked to the hat and nodded slowly. He went back to work quickly. There was nothing he could do for his friend but wait. He could provide comfort if the raven chose to confide in him.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke up slowly. She didn't open her eyes at first. She could hear dripping to her left and she flinched on instinct. However, she wasn't cold. In fact, she was quite nice and toasty. The pilot decided to be brave and open her eyes. Everything was white for a second, but then it cleared. The input from her senses assaulted her. The scent of antibiotics and sterile environment was heavy in the air. There was muffled chatter, probably behind a door.

"She's going to be fine Ace! Sheesh! Marco, get him away from the Den Den Mushi!" Izo's voice came from her right, strong. He sounded irritated.

"Then just let me talk to her!" Ace's voice came, obviously through the Den Den Mushi. Ran felt her lips twitch into a smile.

"She'll call you back." Izo finished the conversation.

Kacha!

"Stubborn idiot." Izo murmured into the, now silent, snail. Ran heard him move about and then his face suddenly appeared in her field of vision. "Ran? Are you awake, love?" He didn't have his makeup on and his hair was down, spilling across his shoulders. He still looked just as beautiful, though. Ran remembered thinking that the man was deceptively strong. She remembered him carrying her. Why had he carried her? The IV dripped again to her left and she flinched. "Oh, sweetie, you are awake!" Izo exclaimed. "Let me get a nurse real quick!" The Commander headed towards the door. Ran whimpered involuntarily. Izo appeared next to her in a flash. "What's wrong, love? Where does it hurt?" He asked gently. Ran could feel her throat clenching and her eyes prickling. She felt like crying.

"D-" She coughed. Izo jumped up and poured a glass of water. He gently held her head up and helped her drink some. Ran did. She was grateful that Izo didn't comment on her inability to drink on her own.

"There you go, dear. All better." The Commander gave her a small smile. He placed the glass back onto the nightstand.

"Don't leave me." Ran managed to say, her voice raw and cracking. Her throat hurt like hell. Actually, now that she was regaining feeling in her body, it all hurt like hell. Izo gave her another smile.

"I'm just going to call a nurse, sweetie. I'll be right here in a second."

"Don't leave me." The pilot repeated, her voice a bit steadier. The Commander sat down on her bed.

"Alright. I'll sit right here, okay?" He asked, looking at the girl's face carefully. Ran stared at him. She was so glad to see him. Why? She didn't know. But, she was glad to see him.

"What's wrong with me?" She finally asked. Izo glanced at her, as if trying to figure something out. He had this look in his eyes, like he pitied her. Ran didn't like that look.

"You don't remember?" He asked. Ran shook her head slightly. It hurt. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. "You were taken by two Zodiacs. I found you in time." Suddenly, the dam broke and memories rushed back. Ran could feel her head pounding. Her throat finally closed and she shut her eyes, feeling the salty tears. She was so glad. It was over. It was all over. She was alive, here, in the hospital, with Izo. She opened her eyes back up only to see Izo's worried face. She managed a small smile.

"Thank you." Ran whispered through her tears. "Thank you." She repeated. "Thank you." She couldn't stop. Izo gave her a wide smile. Obviously, he had been afraid for her. He had been afraid of the way she would react to her experience. His face showed clearly that he hadn't been expecting this.

"You're more than welcome, love."

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace spent the next couple of days moody. Izo didn't call back. The raven started staking out the Den Den Mushi that Izo usually called, and when Thatch or Leo made him leave, he would stalk the pirates on communications like they were his favorite game. Ace became more and more irritated the more time passed. He didn't sleep unless narcolepsy struck. He didn't eat unless Thatch forced him to. He was miserable, and everyone was noticing. In the end, Marco pounded the hell out of him and forced him off the ship. Something about being a gray cloud. That led to the current situation. Ace spent most of his day making kasas. Koto was a bit worried that if the raven continued moping, he would make enough hats for half of the island. He was getting insanely good at it, though.

"Ace!" Leo yelled, catching his attention. The raven jumped up, abandoning the kasa that he was obsessively making.

"Did he call?"

Leo gave him a small smile. "Yes. Ran's asking for you." Ace practically teleported into the communications room. He tore the Den Den Mushi out of Marco's hands and walked away. He wanted to talk to Ran alone.

"Ran?" He asked.

"Hey." Her voice was scratchy, breaking. Ace frowned. He felt guilt pool into the pit of his stomach. He should've gone with her. But, no. He stayed on the Moby Dick, partying. He was partying while she was getting hurt. He felt sick.

"Are you okay?" He asked carefully.

"I'm going to be." She replied. She sounded so small. So fragile. Ace wanted to fly over there and be with her. He wanted to take her into his arms and heat her up, just the way she liked it. He wanted to kiss every spot that was hurt and keep her safe.

"What happened to you?" He asked. "How hurt are you? When are you coming here?" He couldn't stop the barrage of questions anymore. All the things that he had wondered about while making kasas just spilled out. He heard Ran chuckle.

"I'm going to be fine." She repeated. Ace clenched his fist.

"Don't just tell me that!" He finally burst. There was silence for a moment. "Please tell me what happened, Ranmao. I've been sitting for days, imagining the worst possible situation…" He whispered, looking at the floor.

There was another short pause. "I got on the Zodiacs radar. Two of them came after me." She took a shaky breath. Ace felt blood freeze in his veins. Zodiacs? Zodiacs. She got tortured by Zodiacs. Oh by the Seven Seas. He was pacing now, waiting for her to finish. "But, Izo got me in time. I'm going to be fine." Ran said, but Ace wouldn't be fooled. She was hurt and scared. She had been tortured while he had been partying and making stupid hats. She had been tortured while he was dreaming of her naked on top of him. Ace punched the nearest wall, making the whole thing vibrate from the force. He was surprised later that he hadn't made a hole. "Ace? What was that?" Ran asked from the other side, worried.

"Nothing." Ace pushed through his teeth. He was livid. Not at her, of course. Them. He wanted to beat them bloody.

"Ace?" Ran asked. It seemed that he had been quiet for too long. He was just so angry. He was too angry. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so angry. No, he could. He could. It was that time when a drunken pirate in a tavern had insulted Roger. He hated that fire of anger that would boil the blood inside of him and explode. He hated it. Because he couldn't control it.

"I'm here." Ace murmured. "Do you want me to come over there?" He asked. He didn't know why he did. Ran was his friend, but she was safe with Izo. It's not like Ace could do anything that the Commander couldn't. But, he realized, if she asked him to, he would drop everything and run to her. When had she become so important? Wasn't she just a casual friend? And here he was, thinking of dropping everything. His adventure. His dream. His piracy. Just to go to her side. It scared the crap out of him.

"No. You have your own path, Ace. Izo is getting us on an ally ship anyways. He doesn't want me to fly." Ran laughed and then started coughing.

"Are you okay? You don't sound too good."

"Yeah." Ran cleared her throat. "I'm good. Just need some water." Ace heard her move about on the other side. He heard sound of water being poured. She cleared her throat again. "I need to go now. Need to change my bandages." Ran told him.

"Yeah…" Ace replied. He rubbed his forehead. "Call me soon?" He remembered to ask.

"Tomorrow." Ran promised. "Keep your Den Den Mushi close, my little S." She teased. Ace smiled slightly.

"Yeah…" The line went dead.

Kacha!

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran stared at the Den Den Mushi for a while. The nurse knocked on the door window of her room again and the pilot nodded to her. The slim woman entered, giving her a gentle, but automatic, smile.

"How are we feeling today?" The nurse asked. Ran wasn't one to get annoyed by people easily, but after almost two weeks of hearing the woman address her in plural, she was very irritated. Even snappy.

"We are feeling fine." She replied sarcastically. The nurse didn't react to it. She bustled around and gathered sterile bandages.

"Shall we lift up our shirt?" The nurse spoke again. Ran didn't even bother answering, she just pulled off her gown completely. She wasn't shy, nor embarrassed. "That's good." The nurse continued. She started working on Ran's back first. Taurus had spared nothing. Ran had heard. She had sixty seven cuts. Big, small, wide, narrow, jagged. He had painted her like a canvas. She felt ugly. She felt dirty, spoiled. She was never going to wear a bikini and shorts again. Sure, the doctor had told her that with proper care and salves most of her scars would be almost nonexistent. What a joke. She had seen the pictures of her wounds by accident. Those would leave marks.

Izo burst into the room without knocking. "Hello, love. You finished your conversation with that hothead? Did he fry the ship in anger over there?" The Commander joked. He had his makeup on and his hair perfectly done, as usual. He had been nothing but supportive. Ran was worried about a lot of things after she woke up. For example, the expenses of her treatment, the location of the Sparrow, the status of Sita and the twins, Elder Pinjao's village, etc. Izo had had quite a handful calming her down.

He had explained how, since she was an ally of the Whitebeard Pirates, she had certain privileges, and that he would take care of the hospital expenses. They were on an allied island, so she would be safe there. Izo had been going in and out, taking care of the rogue bandits in his spare time. He had spent hours and hours by her bedside, though. He had also gotten her glider transported, and now it was safe in a garage. Ran had made calls to both Sita, who didn't pick up, and Elder Pinjao. The man himself answered, causing her to freak out. Taurus had told her that he was dead! Elder Pinjao explained to her that he was fine, and that he didn't know the current Taurus. He also told her that Zodiacs often lied to get information. Ran had calmed down a bit after their conversation, to Izo's greatest joy. The pilot had been hysteric the first few days. Now, she seemed to be coming to terms with her situation.

"When can we leave?" Ran fired off without answering Izo's light questions. The Commander gave her a look. She shrugged, causing the nurse behind her to complain. "Look. I'm fine! I want to get out of here!" The pilot complained. Izo sat down in front of her.

"Not until you are discharged. I won't risk your stiches ripping, dear." The Commander told her, adamant. Ran pouted. Izo stared.

"Shall we turn around?" The nurse interrupted. Ran obeyed, giving Izo another look. She was getting more and more annoyed by the nurse. Izo did nothing to ease her anger. In fact, he seemed as annoyed as she was.

"Do you mind?" Izo asked the nurse. She ignored him, causing Ran to giggle. There weren't many people that could push Izo's buttons. The Commander sighed, giving up. "I'm going to get us some food, sweetie. I'm sick of this hospital." Ran gave him a disbelieving look. He did not just say that. Izo shrugged and left, leaving the pilot alone with the annoying nurse. The woman, too, left soon. Ran stayed alone, listening to the slow dripping of the IV. She sighed and looked out the window. It was getting dark.

Sighing again, Ran threw her hospital gown over her head, ignoring the stinging of the cuts on her arms. She pushed herself up and headed for the window. The floor tiles were icy on her feet. She could feel all of her cuts moving. She thought that it felt like they were rubbing against each other. Ran hated the way the hospital gown was open on the back, breezy. She opened the window slowly, wincing when the cut on her hand got strained. She was lucky that she had a high tolerance of pain. Or more like, that she enjoyed a certain amount of pain. However, this, she hadn't signed up for this.

The warm air from the outside hit her body. Ran sighed. She could feel the wind on her face. It carried the scent of flowers and earth. Her body felt heavy. Grounded. She pushed away from the window before the skies started to call to her. She carefully lowered herself back on her bed. Ran pulled the covers to her chin and curled up into a ball. She needed to get out of here.

"Well, you don't look as bad as I thought you would." A familiar voice came from behind Ran and she turned her head, searching for the speaker. There she was, sitting like it was nobody's business on the window ledge. Sita gave her a grin. Her clothes were just as Ran remembered, black, shiny and tight, except that now she had a corset. Her wavy black hair fell across her shoulders gently. Sita seemed to blend into the night that had quickly fallen. Ran pushed herself up in a sitting position. Sita's eyes assessed the pilot's injuries. "Damn." She commented. "Sorry. It's all my fault." The assassin seemed genuinely sorry. But, Ran didn't want her apologies. She wanted answers.

"Keep it." She told Sita without skipping a beat. "Who the heck is Scorpio and why were they after him? Why did they think that I knew where this Scorpio was?" Sita sighed and nodded.

"I owe you that much." She answered. Her heeled boots clanked on the tiles as she walked to Ran. "Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces." The assassin listed. "Those are the twelve of the highest ranked Zodiac assassins. Each has their own division, which specializes in a certain type of service. I became one of those. I became Scorpio to get those two idiots back." Sita lowered herself on Ran's bed. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess. Into my mess. I thought that they would come after me." Ran shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. What's in the past is in the past. I just wanted to know why." The pilot answered. She was still shocked at her own ability to compartmentalize. Ran understood military. She understood soldiers. Her father was one. Her cousin was one. They had to obey their orders. Assassins were the same. They obeyed orders. Ran was well aware that they could've done much worse to her. She had seen Sita's scars. She had seen Sita's wound. She had seen the twins after their escape from the Zodiacs. They could've done much much worse to her.

"You're really something, you know." Sita said. Her voice was low, raspy. She gave a chuckle that sent hot shivers straight to the pit of Ran's stomach. It was an involuntary reaction, she couldn't help it. The woman was sex on legs. She felt a bit guilty, thinking about Sita this way, and going back to Ace. But, Ace had been specific. He didn't want her with any other men. Sita was a woman through and through. Ran chuckled. Sita gave her a confused look. The pilot shook her head.

"How are Daithi and Faolan?" She asked. She didn't want to talk about the Zodiacs. The cuts were still too fresh.

Sita laughed. "The idiots are fine. Still as fucking idiotic as you remember. Daithi is crazy about those metal puzzles that you gave him." Ran smiled.

"Are they here with you?" Sita nodded.

"They wouldn't let me go alone, little brats." The assassin got up and started walking around the room, restless. Her steps were almost muted, Ran noticed. Her heels clacked, but her walk was light. She was a true assassin. "I told them to go play on the island while I saw how you were. They like you, you know. I didn't want them to see you hurt." Ran gave her a look.

"They are assassins, Sita." The pilot gave a sarcastic smile. "They've seen enough mutilated bodies." Sita gave her a faraway, sad look.

"Yes. They have seen enough blood and guts." She looked so guilty. Ran opened her mouth to apologize, but Sita interrupted her. "We separate ourselves from out targets. We don't even see them as human. Seeing someone that they love hurt the way they have hurt other people… it would break them." There was silence for a moment.

"At least they won't have to kill and torture anymore. They are out." Ran replied. Sita gave a nod. She leaned against the wall beside the door comfortably. Her posture seemed relaxed, but she was on full alert.

"I saw the wanted posters." Ran said. Sita gave a snort.

"Needed to put food on the table. There's only one job that I actually know how to do." She retorted. Ran gave her a look. "I know, I went a bit overboard, but believe me, they deserved what they got." The assassin's voice was grave. Sita's expression changed in a second. It became playful and she smirked at Ran. "Did you get that pirate of yours?" By the way Ran's face flushed, she got her answer, but she still waited for an answer. The door burst open and Izo entered.

"They only had hospital food in the cafeteria, love. I went to the restaurant and got us some pasta, sweetie. The doctor said that you could eat it." He lowered the food on the table and turned around. The Commander's eyes met Sita's suddenly cold and alert ones. Izo moved on instinct, pulling out his gun. Sita flew forward, too, her own gun in her hand.

It all happened so fast.

**That's all folks!**

**So, I need some space to rant:**

**+ A healthy adult human heart actually weights around 300 grams (250-350 depending on gender)**

**+ I hope you guys enjoyed Taurus and Kage up there, they are rather lovable in my opinion, even if they are insane**

**+ Ran is a complicated person, she prefers to use logic to deal with things that happen in her life, rather than face them head on, as you can see up there. Sometimes, it is very good and mature, but sometimes, it is destructive.**

**+ I hope you guys like Koto :D He is adorable, in my mind he speaks with the whole –degozaru instead of –desu. I'm thinking about whether he should go out to the sea with Whitebeard or not… He's a real momma's boy :3**

**+ Ran actually blurted that she loved Ace in one of the previous chapters. She does, but she needed something to push her to the brink for her to realize that. She doesn't remember that she thought that, but she will… :D**

**I hope that this cleared up a few things ( I probably forgot something, I'll remember and post it somewhere xD)**

**anniewanny2: Thank you! Thank you! *crowd cheering* Thank you! *bows* Praise the beast! Hehehehe actually, this is not the first time that I've been called that xD I tend to write a lot. When I'm waiting for the bus, when I'm walking somewhere, when I'm waiting in a row somewhere, sometimes during lectures too :) So, it gets done quite fast, since I aim to have around 6k words in each chapter :) Sure, I write faster when I know what I want to write or when I have reviews :D I keep re-reading them like a maniac xD Also, writing for One Piece is like being in it, and let's face it, I'm obsessed with One Piece xD**

**I wanted Ace to save her, too, but it was impossible xD He was a bit too far away… And, let's face it, Ace would completely freak out. Izo has the capabilities to act level headed and actually help Ran get through this, while Ace really doesn't. He would just pour oil on the fire, making it worse in my opinion. Ace tends to solve problems with his fists and Ran prefers words. She simply needs someone like Izo to help her now. Ace will come later, when she has already sort of come to terms with it. I hope Ace's reaction was good enough :D He feels guilty and frustrated because he wasn't there :(**

**Hope you enjoyed :D**


	27. Seven Nation Army

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**I would like to give my thanks to Ubermarine, WateRipplE, Greengirl011, ShikaTemaXX and lyndeshia on the alerts and thanks to ShikaTemaXX, xEternalHamnationx and lyndeshia for the favs! **

**Good news are, my exams are done! Bad news are, lectures at my college are starting :( I'm going to be a lot busier than I used to be :S So, updates…. Hahahahaha yeeeeaaaaah…. Updates…... I will try and do once every weekend or so… Really no idea… But, this story has picked up like insaaaane! I had no idea that it was that good... I'm trying to keep it as easy going as possible... If anyone is interested in beta reading, I'm up for it... Silent readers! Speak up! Tell me what you think :D**

**Anyways, I feel like Ran is becoming a bit of a Mary Sue, I hope that she isn't, but I'm rather paranoid. I'm not trying to make everyone like her, or for her to go through tragic things just for the heck of it (so she can be a tragic heroine and be pitied by Ace) I'm trying to give her room to grow. I hope that I'm not jumping into the MS category…**

**I'm a bit uncomfortable with Ace's growth… I don't quite agree with his outlook on life, but I will try and work through it. I don't think that Roger is the Devil or evil or anything… So, I'm going to do my best with that… Ace is such a weird person sometimes… **

**Oh gosh, I'm done here for now, enjoy!**

**Chapter 27: The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army**

Ran couldn't believe what was happening. Each bullet hit the other, ricocheting off in the room. The pilot squeaked and ducked under her bed, unable to stop the two rampaging forces. She finally got brave and poked her head out, yelling.

"Halt! Halt! Pause! All friendly here! Friendly fire!" It didn't seem to do anything much, since the bullets didn't stop. One particular hit right next to Ran's face and she flinched away. She could feel her wounds hurting. She couldn't deal with this now. She was too hurt to deal with all of this conflict now. She wanted to fly away. So, Ran did the logical. She crawled out of her hiding place and through the door which Izo had left open. Smirking, she stood up, ignoring the pain in her wounds. The excitement of seeing the Sparrow was enough to give her strength.

The pilot headed forward, her steps steady. Her bare feet sounded against the tiles and rang out down the hallway. She was thankful that she had taken out her IV earlier. It would've torn her wrist when she jumped off the bed if she hadn't had. A couple of nurses ran down the hallway, ignoring her. Obviously, Sita and Izo weren't too subtle in their disagreement. Ran wasn't a fan of conflict, but she had learned that most people accustomed to combat, like Izo and Sita, understood each other through the exchange of blows.

Sita wouldn't kill Izo. She knew better than to piss of Whitebeard. Izo, she wasn't sure about. He probably thought that the black clad woman was a Zodiac who had come to finish the job. However, Sita was skilled, and paranoid enough, for Ran not to worry about her. She would escape if she couldn't win. The pilot didn't doubt that.

Another group of nurses ran by her and Ran noticed them looking at her. It was only a matter of time before she got caught for escaping the hospital. The pilot looked around and found a suitable target. Grinning evilly, she ducked into a washer room, looking forward to covering her bare butt. Not that she minded, she liked her butt. However, she preferred keeping her butt to herself. Or maybe Ace. Ace liked her butt, right?

What would Ace say about her new scars, though? Ran frowned and paused in her sifting through the fresh clothes. He would be disgusted, no doubt. She had gashes everywhere. No, Ran shook her head and pulled out a nurse uniform. He wouldn't mind it. This was Ace she was talking about. When did his opinion become so important anyways?

The pilot chuckled to herself and slid off her hospital gown. She tossed it in the dirty laundry and mixed it up, so it was on the bottom. That would make finding her a bit harder. Then, Ran pulled the nurses outfit over her head and combed her fingers through her hair, attempting to tame it. She really needed a shower. Her wounds were stinging from all the movement. Besides, with all the morphine in her system, it was probably worse than she could feel. Ran looked around and found a pen. She smiled and twisted her hair in a bun with practiced ease. She was good to go. All that she needed were some shoes. But, those were overrated.

Soon, the pilot was out of the hospital, taking the back door, of course. She would draw too much attention going through the front with her bare feet and bandages all over. With a smile on her face she hit the streets, ignoring the weird looks she was getting. Ran loved the outside. She never could stay in one place for too long, even less in one room. She like being able to move. She loved the gentle and warm breeze on her face and the light chatter of the people around her. She liked how the lights went on, making even the dark night feel welcome. However, tonight, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

The pilot turned, stopping. She watched the crowd behind her, trying to see if anyone had suddenly stopped, too. No. She must be getting paranoid. She was beginning to sound like Sita, all worried about people following her. Well, if she had been more cautious, she would've noticed that something had been off about Kage.

No. There hadn't been anything to notice. In fact, he had blended in perfectly. Seemed like a nice guy, looking for a delivery. Even threw Elder Pinjao's name in the mix. She was too trusting. Ran knew that very well. Was she going to change? Every day. However, she had vowed never to lose faith in the goodness of people. She had seen bad. She had seen evil. And she had seen good. The world wasn't black and white. It was all in the shades of gray, and no one knew that better than the Migratory Bird.

Where there was light, there was always darkness. Ran looked up and smiled at one of the paper lanterns in the street. Not quite the same, but they reminded her of her home island. Arcadia had round paper lanterns. They were painted in vibrant colors, mostly red and yellow and they hung around the city like little balls of fire. She knew that Arcadia was beautiful. The city was full of puzzles, mysteries and plain beauty, somehow modern and exotic, yet traditional at the same time.

She didn't have a lot of problems finding the garage where the Sparrow was. Asking around Whitebeard territory about the activity of a Commander was fruitful, after all. As soon as the plump, older owner opened the large door, Ran felt like she could breathe again. There he was. In all his glory. Her beautiful Sparrow.

"Would you like anything else, ma'am?" The man asked with a kind smile. He had been very nice to her. Ran turned around and gave him a blinding, ear-to-ear grin.

"No. You've already done more than I could hope for." She replied and walked forward. The morphine was slowly wearing off. She could feel her wounds now. It was not pleasant. However, Ran didn't care.

"Will the Commander be joining you?" The owner asked just as Ran pulled the protective cover off her glider with some difficulty. She stopped and turned around, thinking.

"I don't really know." She chuckled and continued pulling the cover off. She heard the owner leaving, giving her some privacy. Ran couldn't help herself. She felt like she was flying, just by seeing her wonderful glider. If she had died, what would've happened to her Sparrow?

"I love you." She murmured to the machine gently. "My friend." The pilot patted the recently repainted eye gently. "My friend." Her lips felt dry. "I love you." She repeated and lay her cheek on the cool metal of the glider's beak. The nostalgic smell of oil, soot and metal soothed her. She took a deep, shaky breath and enjoyed the scent of waterproof covering that she had rubbed in herself. And then, Ran finally let her tears fall freely, the soft song of the bird in the back of her head comforting her.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace couldn't really describe what he was feeling. Irritation? Anger? Longing? Rage? Depression? Nostalgia? He didn't know. But, he knew that he was a mess. So, Ace did what he could to deal with that. He had learned that one way to surely overcome confusion was to get exhausted, so that's what he did. First, he challenged Leo. The blonde did some hand to hand with him, without too much protesting. However, he soon noticed that Ace was distracted, angry and sloppy, so, he shooed the raven away and told him to go get a cup of tea. This only brought more anger and frustration to the young pirate.

Ace clenched Ran's Vivre card tightly in his hand as he walked. He kept checking on it from time to time. It seemed like yesterday that he had gone to pick up the piece of paper, giddy about finally teaching the pilot something. She somehow always seemed to know more than he did. She was older. She was more experienced. She was somehow always better. It annoyed him. Ace saw it as a challenge. Top that. Top this. And now, he was going to teach her about the Vivre cards. When she came back, of course. Because she was alive and well. Because she was a survivor, like him.

"Ace-dono!" Koto exclaimed, surprised when Ace plopped right next to him. The samurai-to-be noticed his new friend's grave expression and went quiet for a moment. He saw the pirate looking at a piece of paper like it was golden. Koto lowered the katana that he had been cleaning and looked around. They were at the docks. The Moby Dick was huge in the bay, anchored by the wooden dock. There weren't many people at the harbor after dark. Most of them were at yet another one of Whitebeard's parties.

Koto sheathed his sword and stood up, surprising Ace. The raven looked up at the young man, his eyes questioning. Koto usually let the pirate lead their encounters. He always agreed with Ace and never decided anything. Seeing him take the initiative was strange. However, when the raven caught Koto's gaze, he saw a force, a calm, but strong, tide, that he never knew the boy possessed. The samurai-to-be gave Ace a gentle smile.

"Shall we spar, Ace-dono?" The words caught the pirate off guard. He stared for a moment, gaping like a fish.

"Errr, I don't use swords." He decided to say something intelligent. Koto gave a melodious laugh.

"You own a dagger, do you not?" Ace nodded. "Then, I see no problem." The pirate found himself shrugging and standing up. He stuffed the Vivre card into his pocket and drew his knife in one fluid motion. He didn't use it a lot. He relied on his Devil Fruit abilities and hand to hand experience. The knife was mostly for survival in the wild purposes. So, when he drew it from its green sheath it felt familiar in his hand.

Koto moved in a second, appearing right in front of Ace. His eyes were still as kind as ever, but they held a certain edge. The katana glinted in the moonlight when he drew it and slammed it against Ace's knife. The raven cringed under the force of the strike. He wasn't accustomed to fighting with a blade. He could feel his wrist straining to hold the knife. Koto was strong. He pulled back and attacked once more.

Ace deflected swiftly, not holding back his strength. He could see Koto trembling under the mere force of his push. With a smirk, Ace ducked and aimed a kick at the young man's legs. Koto jumped up, evading. His small ponytail flew up and down behind him. There was a frown on the young man's face. Clearly, he had underestimated Ace. And the raven wasn't even using Haki yet. Well, he couldn't use it well, but… it helped a tad sometimes.

The duo continued exchanging blows for a while. Ace had to admit, he never knew just how skilled the young man was. Koto had obvious skill with the blade, swishing the long thing back and forth, as if it were a tiny knife. He would make a good pirate, Ace decided. However, he couldn't bring himself to allow Koto onto the Moby Dick. He didn't want to be responsible. He didn't want to get a young boy into piracy. Ace's train of thought was disrupted when Koto's katana collided with his dagger once again and made it fly through the air. His grip must've loosened. Well, he was never good with a blade anyways. Giving Koto an evil grin, Ace allowed his body to become consumed by flame.

The young man laughed and jumped away. Ace was a bit surprised when Koto didn't stop, but sheathed his katana and ran. That didn't deter the pirate. His smile widened and he gave chase. Koto was a nimble lad. He jumped up onto the low roofs and sped through the town, his hand on his katana at the ready. Ace ran after him, arm aflame. There was a smile on his face and the raven realized that Koto had cheered him up. A brat Luffy's age had cheered him up. The pirate laughed to himself, but didn't stop the chase. He was no pushover. He would show the young samurai-to-be just how strong he was.

"Enough with this cat and mouse, Koto! Let's get this over with!" The pirate jumped off the roof, letting his feet flame up, leaving scorch marks on the roof tiles. He was glad that they were in a quieter part of the town, away from the impromptu festival. Ace flew through the air, his whole lower body on fire. He landed in front of Koto, making the young boy halt in his tracks, surprise on his face. The samurai-to-be performed a quick draw and sheathe technique, however, it was ineffective on the Logia. Ace extended his flaming hand, smirk still on his face.

"Game over." He told Koto. The young samurai-to-be sighed, raising his hands in surrender.

"Good." He panted. "Do you feel-" Another pant. "-much better now, Ace-dono?" The young man wiped the sweat from his brow, letting go of his sword. The aura of danger was gone from the samurai-to-be. He was back to his old, relaxed self. Ace was impressed, to say the least. The young man seemed to be harmless until he gripped his katana.

Ace laughed. "Much better." He confirmed. He did, in fact, feel much better. It was like a giant burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Like he could finally stand straight again. Was this how it felt to leave guilt behind? He had been feeling guilty. A lot. Not being there for Ran. True, he didn't know her that well. Barely over three months. However, they somehow clicked. He liked being around her. Ran made him feel good about himself. Alive. Happy to be alive.

Not to be melodramatic, but Ace had always had that tendency of making friends easily. Maybe Luffy had rubbed off on him, he wasn't sure. However, the raven had met many interesting people during his travels. He had found that casual chitchat and information gathering were his strong points. He wasn't sure why. Maybe because he was an extrovert? Maybe because he was looking for a reason? A reason as to why he was alive? Contact with people made him feel that more alive. It made him feel like he had a purpose.

Ace grinned at Koto. "Let's go get a drink!" He threw his arm around the young man's shoulders and led him toward the nearby party. There would be plenty of food and booze there, and Ace needed it right now. In fact, he was quite hungry.

"But-" Koto tried to wriggle away, but the pirate was strong. "I don't drink, Ace-dono!" Koto complained.

"Meh!" Ace replied, pulling the lad along.

~~~~pb~~~~

The sound of a whip swishing rang through the air. Blood splattered across the floor in the dark room. The man taking the beating didn't make a sound. Another swish and another trail of red liquid splayed on the tiles. The woman doing the whipping didn't bat an eyelash. She swished once again, counting.

"Three-hundred and ninety nine." Swish. Splat. "Four hundred." Swish. Splat. The torturer dropped her weapon of choice onto the floor carelessly and headed out, her brilliant red hair swaying behind her. Her bare feet made squishy noises from the blood that she had been standing in. The short woman left the room, not looking back at the man who was still tied up in between the poles.

It took a couple of moments for the man to move. His pitch black hair was matted with blood and falling into his wounds. His bare torso was painted scarlet. He grit his teeth and tugged on his restraints. In one fluid motion, the chains tore from the poles, setting him free. His knees buckled, but he didn't fall. He frowned at his bloodied and torn up hakama. He needed a new pair.

"Well, you look worse for wear, Shadow." A voice came from the entrance and Kage almost jumped, thinking that that hellish woman had returned. He masked his nervous reaction and turned around, silver eyes glinting from below his bloody bangs. Sure enough, there was Taurus, standing in the doorways like he owned the building. However, Kage's trained eyes could see the wounds. Taurus had a whipped back that he masked quite well. His arm was in a sling and he had a swollen eye.

Kage snorted. "You're telling me, former Taurus." He tried to walk forward, but stopped himself. He didn't want to fall to his knees in front of that man.

Taurus groaned. "Don't remind me! My pride is still bleeding!" He complained and walked forward, carefully avoiding the red lines. Kage raised a delicate eyebrow at this.

"Obviously, that's not the only bleeding thing."

Taurus looked up from the bloody tiles in alarm. "Shit! Did the wound open? Am I staining the new jacket? Blood is fucking hard to wash out!" The big man complained, trying to see his own back clumsily. Kage snorted again. The former Taurus gave him a glare. "Fuck." He complained, looking to his feet. His black boots were smeared with blood and skin.

Kage smirked. It looked strange on his usually impassive face. "Are those new, too?" The other assassin gave him a pointed look. He wasn't amused.

"Damn right." The former Taurus said and grabbed Kage's arm just in time. The smaller assassin slumped towards the floor, his knees finally giving out. He didn't react when his legs became wet with his own blood. The other assassin wrinkled his nose. "They really are going overboard this time." He grumbled and pulled the swordsman up. He supported the smaller man's weight easily with one of his shoulders, eyebrows furrowed at the stench of blood. He could feel it seeping into his jacket.

"We went against the rules. We retreated. And we engaged one of Yonko's crewmates in battle." Kage paused to cough, some blood spilling from his lips. "We're lucky we got off with just this for failing a mission, former Taurus."

"If you say so." They were in the hallway now, leaving a bloody trail behind them. "And stop calling me that." Kage's distinct silver eyes glinted at him in annoyance. The Zodiacs received their names. They never kept one identity for too long. It would make them become a person. It would give them a voice. "I go by Bull these days. Until I get my title back." Kage snorted and coughed, a line of thick blood spilling from his mouth and nose.

"How original."

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran returned to find Izo and Sita sitting in the chairs next to her bed, guns apart on the small table next to the, by now, completely cold food. She smiled when she saw the Commander grinning widely, showing the woman all the different parts and their functions. Sita had that childish look on her face, drinking up every single word. Ran was reminded of an overly excited cat when she saw her. They both looked like two kids in a toy store. Or a candy store. Either works.

The pilot walked forward and snatched one of the boxes and some plastic utensils from the table. Sita looked up right away, as if she had no idea the girl had been in the room. She eyed Ran's nurse outfit, but didn't comment. "You've been holding out on me! Look at all this stuff he has! And he says you got them for him! Look at the pretty, shiny circle! Can Daithi make the same improvements on my guns? Can he?" The assassin spoke excitedly, getting up and going towards the, now eating, pilot.

Ran looked at Izo. He seemed smug. The pilot shrugged, not really wanting to get in the middle of this measuring business. However, Sita was staring at her, waiting. She had that gleam of hope in her eyes. Ran gave up.

"Sure, I could teach him." She took another bite of the cold pasta, enjoying the non-hospital food. "I'll ask Shrimp to get me some parts, though." The pilot supplied. Sita nodded, still giddy about the improvements on her weapons. Izo casually started putting his guns back together.

"Why not go and get the kid now, Deirdre? It would certainly save us some time, as we are leaving today." He commented, sliding the pieces gently into their places. The soft and hard slicks reminded Ran of her work on the Sparrow. Sita looked to the Commander and then to the pilot, analyzing. She gave a sly smirk. He was shooing her away.

"Later, losers." She commented, grabbing her gun parts and jumping on the window ledge. She turned around, the smirk still plastered on her face. "Nice cosplay, by the way." The assassin didn't wait for the answer and jumped out, laughing.

Ran shook her head and looked around the room, noticing that they had done minimal damage. She gave a small smile as she settled herself into Sita's chair. She watched Izo work for a while. He was beautiful. His makeup was perfect, full with the little red parts at the edge of his eyes. She liked that. He had narrow eyes, like Ran did. Maybe she would look good with some makeup?

"How is the Sparrow?" Izo asked. He didn't look up. His slender fingers kept moving. Ran put down her empty food container.

"Great. Not a scratch." The duo sat in silence for a moment. Izo cocked his gun and aimed it at Ran, empty. One of his eyes was closed, characteristically. She stayed still, knowing that he had no ill intention. "Bang." She said, finally breaking the silence.

"Bang." He agreed, lowering the barrel. He tucked it into his obi and started assembling the other one. His guns weren't the same. One was better for long range and the other was better for short range. However, he could use either quite well for both.

"We're leaving today?" Ran asked. Izo gave an absent minded nod. "You found someone to take us?" She pestered again after a while. The Commander didn't react for a second.

"Captain Little Oars Jr." Izo supplied with a sigh. "I have a feeling that you'll like him." Ran watched him carefully for a while. He didn't seem too happy about joining Captain Little Oars on his journey. The pilot couldn't help herself.

"You don't like him?" She asked boldly. Ran never was too good with having a filter. She preferred not dancing around the subject and just getting to the point. There was too much precious time wasted on silly word games anyways. She knew that Izo appreciated that. He was tight lipped and manipulative, because the world had made him so. Izo didn't trust easily, he always second guessed. Ran, she was naïve, almost child-like.

Izo placed his finally assembled gun down and locked gazes with the pilot. "It's not that I don't like him, dear, I just find him to be… errr… different." The Commander concluded with a thoughtful face. He gave her a smile. "You'll see. On the other hand, how are your cuts, love? Are you fit for travel?"

"Yes!" The diversion worked. The thoughts of Izo's uncomfortable look faded instantly from her mind. She could almost feel the wind on her face and smell the salt of the sea. She could taste the air current on her tongue and the anticipation of the rush that came with the open sea overcame her. "I'm great! Perfect! Look!" The pilot jumped up, wincing. Izo stood, stopping her before she could hurt herself.

"Alright! Alright! Understood! Now lay down before you rip out your stitches. Down, honey, so we can leave this retched hospital in the evening." Izo covered Ran with her blanket as soon as she was settled. "If I hear another 'shall we take off our shirt' I may actually kill someone." He rolled his eyes, annoyed. Ran giggled and coughed a bit. The cross-dresser settled himself on the edge of Ran's bed, straightening out the creases on the sheets. "We need to talk about something, Ran." He was suddenly serious.

Ran felt fear grip her. The uneasiness pooled in her stomach and she pushed herself up, waiting for him to speak. Izo didn't. "What about?" She had no idea what she had done this time.

"All those scrolls about fighting, Ran! So unlady-like!" He whined suddenly, a comical expression on his face. Ran felt herself fall back down onto her pillows. "You should've chosen a better weapon! Something much more elegant than kicks and punches, dear. And all the bruising and the broken bones! Atrocious!" Ran laughed, causing Izo to stop talking. "What? You thought I was going to scold you?" He asked, bewildered.

"Pretty much." Ran kept laughing. "Well, Sky combat scrolls or not, I'm failing at the lessons, no matter how much I practice." The pilot shrugged, wincing as she did. Izo gave her a thoughtful look.

"Because you don't use it?" He asked, sarcasm tick in his tone.

Ran returned it full force. "Because I couldn't use it when I needed to." There was a silence for a moment. Izo gave a small nod, his eyes sad. She was blaming herself. Of course she was. Ran was a very independent woman. She had left home at an early age and lived on her own since then. Having the control of her life that she was so used to taken away in seconds must've shaken her world.

"Have you ever tried before?" Izo asked. Ran seemed confused, so he continued. "Using this Sky combat thing in a real fight?" He clarified.

"Against my cousin?" She almost asked.

Izo shook his head. "You need a real fight, love. That is, if you are going to learn how to become a combatant." Ran stayed silent, taking in his every word. With a small, melodic chuckle, the Commander continued. "Half of the job is the technique, the skill, but the other half is the experience and the reflexes, generally, the ability of your body. You shouldn't have too many problems with that second part, with all that flying in the storms. So, all we need to do, is get you used to seeing your battle style as something as normal as eating or breathing. I'll give you a hand, love."

"But, you use guns." Ran commented bluntly.

The Commander laughed. "I do prefer guns, much more elegant. Hand to hand seriously messes up my hair. And makes me sweat. I don't like either, dear." Ran stifled her chuckles. "However, I grew up in Wano. I can use close combat. If you decide that you still want to learn to fight when you're all better, I'll spar with you, honey." Izo concluded, getting up. "Now, I need to go see if the port has been opened for Little Oars to dock." He collected the empty food boxes and went to the door. Ran's voice stopped him for a second.

"Izo." The Commander looked back at her. She looked like she was going to say thanks. Like he was her lifeline right then, all red nosed from crying. Even if she tried to blame it on the cold, Izo knew that she had cried when she had gone to see the Sparrow. He knew her too well. "Can you teach me how to put on makeup, too?" Ran suddenly asked, surprising him. "I like the red thing that you do in the corner of your eyes." She made a gesture towards her own eye. Izo laughed.

~~~~pb~~~~

Marco was drunk. He himself couldn't believe it, but he was. At least, he was pretty sure that he was. It had been a long time. As in, it had been ages since he had been really drunk properly. Before his Devil Fruit. Yeah, it had been at least fifteen years. If not more. His memory tended to become fuzzy when he drank. It was a very nostalgic state.

With another highly coordinated stumble, Marco reached his destination, the deck of Moby Dick. He swayed his way to the door that led to the sleeping quarters. His office/bedroom, but more if an office than anything, hadn't been one of the victimized parts of the ship. So, he dragged his hand along the wall, trying to find his way. It was a good, swirly way. Fun, in Marco's current opinion. He liked this path. Why did he like it again? Ah, doorknob. Better open the door. Yes, the phoenix reasoned with himself, you pull the door to get in. So, Marco pulled the door.

After a while, the phoenix remembered that his door opened to the inside and pushed it. Voila! It was open. A miracle, dare Marco say. He stumbled in, praising himself on his tidiness. There was no mess on the floor to trip over. He staggered towards his chair and plopped down, completely missing it. For a second, Marco took in the pain in his behind, surprised. Oh well. The phoenix attempted to take off his sandals. It was a challenge. In the end, he somehow managed to undo them and kick them off. He then rolled over and pushed himself off the floor, using the chair for support without shame. His hands felt a bit numb. His legs were like jelly. What the heck was wrong with his Devil Fruit? It should've kicked in by now.

Marco walked towards the bed, dismissing those thoughts. His head hurt when he tried to think. His train of thought kind of vanished and it just didn't feel too important anymore. His numb fingers undid his sash and belt, letting them drop to the floor. He just wanted his bed. His big, fluffy, comfortable bed. He would deal with unruly pirates and weird Devil Fruits in the morning.

However, when Marco hit the bed, and rolled towards the middle lazily, he was surprised. It wasn't all soft and fluffy. No, no. And his bed strangely smelled of tea. Marco frowned, opening his eyes. Tea? One of his hands felt along the foreign object in his bed and he found it warm and soft. Soft, but not like the bed. He rolled to his side next, inhaling the scent of tea.

He was half expecting to see doc in his bed, but not like this. No, no. Not like this. She was fast asleep, face relaxed. It looked strange on her. He was used to her furrowed brows and the way she narrowed her eyes in anger. Now, with her eyes closed and lips slightly parted, Jade looked so serene. She actually looked her age for once. Though, the thing that made Marco zero in, even through his drink influenced mind, was his shirt. His button down, purple shirt, which he usually left open. It was the only thing that Jade was wearing that he could see. Needless to say, he imagined the red, lacy underwear that he had already seen on her. He couldn't make himself lay back down and turn away from her.

Somehow, he managed to force his eyes away from the smooth thighs that were right in front of him. They were peeking from his shirt. Jade was wearing his shirt. No. Look up, he told himself. Even better, look away. Marco's eyes had a mind of their own, finally obeying and leaving the bare skin, going back to doc's face. They, they went rogue again and focused his vision on her lips. They were right there. Well, she was sleeping in his bed, all off guard and inviting. Sleeping in his bed, which meant that she was his, too right? Marco's fuzzy brain decided. Yes, his bed, his shirt, his Jade. Good. He concluded and bent down, aiming for those lips.

He stopped however, a mere breath away from them. There was something ringing in the back of his head, warning him. Why? His Jade, her lips, ergo his lips. Shut up, sober brain, he reasoned. This was alright. This was perfect. The dark woman beneath him took a breath, the scent of tea on her tongue wafting Marco's nose and consuming him. Why not? This was his. This was perfect. No, he retorted. It wasn't perfect. Jade was asleep.

Suddenly feeling sober, Marco pulled away from Jade and jumped off the bed. He felt hot and his pants were tight. Uncomfortably so. Marco shook his head and the room spun. He grabbed his sandals and left the room, the door slamming behind him. He could hear it opening as he rushed down the hallway and towards the deck, surprisingly without much staggering.

"Marco?!" Jade called, but he never turned.

**That's all folks!**

**- Anyways, I hope that you don't see the Zodiacs so much as evil now, at least Taurus and Kage… They are obeying their own code, even though they may not be 'on the right side' if you get what I mean**

**- I'm very glad that Koto was well received… He was inspired by one of the characters from Natsume Yuujinchou :D I really like him :)**

**- Regarding the number of whiplashes, I'm trying to uphold the 'unrealistic ways of the anime' such as the number of times Zoro lifts his weights and all that kind of stuff… I was wondering if I should go realistic or not, and then I was like naaaah this is One Piece!**

**- Do you guys think that Taurus and Sita are similar?**

**Reviews:**

**anniewanny2: Thanks! Hope you liked the little Zodiac thing, I'm trying to explore them even further… **

**I did quite well actually, some I passed, two I failed (for some reason, I fail Excel every single fricking time) **

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Otaku-chan: Destiel? Omg…. Omg…. YES! Hahahaha! Misha is absolutely epic xD His yt channel and twitter is hilarious :P**

**I'm glad that your school situation worked out :D Hopefully, my college issues will be solved, too… Magically…**

**Glad you enjoyed my choice of pairings :P I promise that there will be more AcexRan coming soon. Rating of this story may change, too…Hihihihihiiiii~ My motto is 'Just keep shipping!'**

**I'm glad that you like the fact that Ran became an ally…. I was debating, but then decided to go with it… She needed to bind herself further to Ace and WB :)**

**I wanted Ran to give something useful to Ace, and then I figured, she has the necessary skills and technology to make the Striker, why not? It's still a work in progress, but it allowed some comic relief and some bonding time for the two of them… Did you guess that she was making the Striker earlier? During my hints about her work on her cargo? She was making it while waiting for Sita to recover, she was using some spare parts from the Sparrow and all that :D**

**I'm glad that you liked the chapters :D Ahh Koto is adorable :D The twins probably aren't going to appear again… I'm not sure… Maybe in a flashback? They aren't really the focus of this story xD**

**I hope you don't see the Zodiacs as really mean now? I mean, they were just doing their jobs… Ahhh I'm so weird xD **

**Talk to you soon :)**

**Wren: Yeah, Sita did warn Ran not to trust them… They lie and manipulate and torture and kill… Anything to get the information… Believe me, Ran got a heart attack, too xD I'm glad that you are empathizing hehehehe~ I'm so eeebil!**

**Ace and his crazy mind… I figure that's how he's react… He's a bit on the macho side, after all… I do promise some sexy time :D Rating might jump up xD **

**Ahh Koto… Yeah… Hope you liked this side of him, too :D He's so adorable… My little momma's samurai-to-be! Awwwe :3 I love your interpretation of him… **

**Jade and Marco… yeaaah… getting there… They are even more frustrating than Ace and Ran… Marco is a bit bothered because she is younger than him… As in, around 10 years maybe? Jade joined the crew really young :) I can't believe that they never clicked together in my head… Hahahahha**

**Thatch and Izo are.. well… yeah…. Yeah…. Sloooowly and then slooooower… Izo doesn't want to overstep his boundaries and Thatch just plain doesn't like the idea of being gay. The fact that he ended up one night, drunk, with Izo and freaked out later, still freaks him out… Izo, well, the other's reaction depressed and discouraged him.**

**I can't believe that someone is actually following my designs xD I'm going to do some more (as soon as the lectures start, I will have time to draw there then) Hopefully, I'll be able to do much more than just the Sparrow… I want to draw Sita and Jade and Koto and the twins… Aaaaarghhhh so much to draaaaaaaw!**

**Hope that you enjoyed! **


	28. Hero

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**Can you believe it? Another chapter? Yep, I can't either… I've been a bit busy, writing Voulez-vous? and all that… College has been insane, too. Unfortunately, my updates will not be as regular as I have hoped. I have distanced myself from Ran a bit too much and lost inspiration for this story. But, this does not mean that I'm going to abandon it. This just means that I will end it soon. I will try and stop somewhere at 30 chapters or so. Well, enough about that.**

**I would like to give my thanks to all of you patent people, who have waited for this chapter and the newcomers of our family! Rednecks Love Anime Too, perrieste, StarFireAdams, TMelissaB, bookgrl and Rmeyer90 thanks for the alerts and OrangeOnTop, Rednecks Love Anime Too, Lightmikami12, ArtChild96, perrieste, Chicacrazy838, StarFireAdams, animegirl17671 and nafara for the favs!**

**Special thanks to Wren and Lilikoikoi, your reviews kept me going for this chapter!**

**Chapter 28: Hero – Jessie J **

She woke up suddenly, as if breaking the surface of the ocean with her head, finally breathing. She had dreamt of them, drowning her. She had heard his voice in her head, promising more torture. More pain. More despair. She had thought that she could deal. That she was fine. But she wasn't.

The unfamiliar room came into focus and Ran pushed herself up and headed outside. The soft rocking of the ship calmed her a bit. She would've preferred her glider, but beggars can't be choosers. She hadn't had a job call in ages. She had begun to associate the sound of her Den Den Mushi with Ace's frequent calls. They had talked almost every day after her demise. Then, he slowly stopped calling. Now, she wasn't even waiting for it like she used to. It depressed her. Everything depressed her.

The deck was empty of pirates. Only the lookout was awake. She could see the outline of the humongous Captain of the crew, incased in a giant blanket, snoring away peacefully. She had been speechless when she had first met Little Oars. She was pretty sure that she had stared at him openly. Izo had laughed and introduced her. Soon, her fear and shock were melted away by the warmth and care of the scary looking, but gentle, Captain and his vastly amusing crew. They looked like a little empire, on their huge ship, all attempting to be a miniature clone of their kind Captain. Ran liked it. She liked them.

Ran felt the bite of the cold wind on her skin and enjoyed it for a second. She could finally feel something. The pilot had been numb. Too numb. She had thought that she could deal with it. She had thought that she was strong. That the past was in the past, and that she could leave it there and move on. However, the feeling didn't go away. No matter how much she thought about the future. No matter how much she looked forward to the things that she had realized that she regretted. There was just this certain numbness in her. Like she was dreading something. Like there was a swirl of black energy somewhere in the pit of her stomach and she felt like she would throw up at some point. Ran just wanted to sleep. Forever.

The pilot tried to push away those thoughts. This wasn't good. She didn't want to be depressed. She needed to cope and to heal. But, it wasn't happening. The girl walked to the edge of the ship, to the railing and pushed herself up onto her hands. She swayed for a moment, along with the waves. The cuts were almost healed all the way. Her stiches were all out. The wound that was still a problem was the one on her thigh.

The black water below her looked inviting. Ran watched the dark, eerie waves go up and down and murmur as they licked the hull. She suddenly let go and 'oof'ed when she hit the wooden railing. It dug into her stomach, hurting like hell. Her head was down, towards the waves, long hair spilling over her face, as if to greet the water. The pilot still had her hands on the railing, but she wasn't holding too tightly. She allowed her legs to rise, her unused muscles sore from the simple strain. Like a plank, her head went down and her feet went up, switching the center of her weight. The ship swayed again and Ran watched the waves calmly. She could feel her head pounding from all the blood now. Her face had probably gone red. What the hell was she doing?

"Ran." Izo's voice came softly, as if not to startle her. It didn't. She didn't go over and into the dark and inviting waves. Ran lowered her feet and raised her head. In one smooth motion, she flipped her hair back and turned to smile at the Commander. Not like she could fool him now. She could see the look in his eyes. He was reading her, calmly, trying to gage if she was suicidal or not. Hell, not even she knew the answer.

"Sorry if I woke you." The pilot replied. Her voice sounded cold, even to her. She could see the way Izo's lips twitched. He had noticed it. "I need more sleep." Ran couldn't talk about this. Not now. Not to Izo. Probably never. With that, she headed back to her borrowed bed, the blackness in her stomach growing.

Izo stood for a moment later, alone on the deck. He sighed and took out his kiseru, lighting it. He didn't know what to do. Obviously, Ran was in trouble. She was in a bad place, emotionally, probably because of all the evading and running away during her past years. The girl didn't know what to do with emotions, so she ran away. She didn't know what to do with people, so she left them behind. She didn't know what to do with herself, except fly. Yet, here she was, fit for flight in his opinion, and not leaving. She had been grounded. There was only so much running that you could do, after all.

The Commander didn't know a lot about Ran. He knew the basics. She was from some famous Sky Island and she had a happy family. She had grown up with two older cousins, both male. Her father was cold and strict, while her mother was caring, but free-spirited, almost detached. In the end, the little girl had been left to her own devices most of the time.

Izo could see it. The way Ran simply reveled in attention unconsciously. The way she spoke and told jokes, making everyone look at her and notice her. The way she was flashy and easily remembered. The girl wanted attention. She craved recognition. She needed to be remembered. And then, as soon as she left the 'stage' she would retract into her shell, going back to her lonely and doubtful self.

Izo had learned not to pity those kind of people. At first, he had. But then, he, too, had been like that once. Before setting out as a pirate. Before becoming a Commander and getting a family. Before belonging. He, too, had been one of those lonely people that smile as bright as the sun and shine as white as the stars, craving attention. He, too, had wanted to be precious to someone. And Ran, she needed to realize that she was, in fact, precious to a lot of people already.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace broke away from the crowd of partying pirates with a grin on his face. It was his celebration. He had managed to get an infamous crew to surrender. Single handedly. At first, the raven had been all smug about it. He had come back, boasting how the Bohemian Knight Doma had allied himself with Whitebeard because of him. The crew had been ecstatic, throwing a party the same night. The enemy pirate had been a troublesome existence for a while. A big new name from the weaker seas, coming in unallied. The Four Yonkos had been fighting for the newbie's favor. Well, Big Mam and Kaido had been. Shanks had always been the most easygoing of the four. He didn't really care about how many pirates he had under him, as long as those that he did, were safe and having fun. Whitebeard was another story altogether. He considered his crew his family, but his allies were all like distant relatives. Some were the annoying aunt kind and others the reliable cousin kind. It was a strange occurrence on the seas, but it worked for the strongest man alive.

"Hey, Ace!" The raven turned, locating Leo easily. The elder waved him over. Ace walked carefully, he had been drinking after all, and plopped on one of the barrels next to his friend.

"What's up?" The raven asked. Leo sat there for a while, not answering. Then he looked Ace straight in the eye and gave him a polite smile.

"I've recommended you for a Commander position! Cheers!" The blonde clanked his drink against Ace's and drank, like they were talking about the weather.

"Wait. What!?" Ace took a bit to answer. He didn't get it. Why would he become Commander? He was a nobody! No, he wanted to be a nobody. Becoming somebody meant that the chance of his tainted blood being exposed went up. He didn't want that. He had just found a home. He had just found a family. He didn't want them to hate him. To despise him, like all the others. He didn't want them to look at him like he had been looked at. He didn't want them to know. They couldn't know. Ever. "I don't want to be a Commander!" The raven jumped up, protesting.

Leo gave him a thoughtful look. The blonde wasn't as observant as Izo, but he still was quite skilled. He had noticed Ace's inner demons. But, he hadn't expected this kind of a reaction. "Why not? You have the knowledge, the experience, the skill and the willpower. I don't see why you shouldn't become one. Besides, the Division loves you and would support you."

Ace shook his head. "I'm just not right for it, Leo. I don't know the first thing about being a Commander!" The raven argued.

"Hey, it's not like I'm just going to throw you into the fire. I'll always be here to help you out." The blonde gave a smile once again. "I still kind of consider you my ward, after all." And the pirate laughed. Ace, though, was still frowning. He didn't like this idea one bit. Sure, the position was more than tempting. The authority, power and experience that came with it truly was. But, it was also a dangerous bet. One that Ace felt like he would lose. The raven shook his head once again.

"You should've asked me before doing something reckless like that." He objected and then stood, leaving the deck and his partying friends. Suddenly, he didn't feel like partying and the jolly feeling from his stomach had been replaced with guilt and fear. He wasn't aware of Leo's observant gaze following him all the way off deck.

~~~~pb~~~~

Izo woke up to the annoying sound of a ringing Den Den Mushi. He frowned and rolled over, attempting to muffle it. But, the shrill ringing continued. Damn, he thought and threw his covers off. Upon further inspection, he saw that it wasn't his Den Den Mushi that was ringing. The sound was coming from the room next door. Ran. He was going to kill her for interrupting his beauty sleep.

Throwing a haori over his night clothes, Izo stormed out of his room. He knew that she was a heavy sleeper, but this was ridiculous. Absolutely. He was going to correct her lazy ways. Izo slammed her door open.

"Ran!" He yelled, not ashamed of his rude entrance. "Wake up and pick up the damn snail!" Izo was many things, but tolerant in the mornings was not one of them. His eyes searched the room quickly. Sure enough, there were Ran's bags and he went over there and wriggled the blue snail free. "I'm just going to pick up if you won't. Don't blame me if you lose a job, dear."

Kacha!

"You've reached the Sparrow." He spoke, schooling his voice to seem as polite as possible, despite his angry visage.

"Izo?" A familiar voice asked from the other end of the line. Ace. Of course. Izo's frown deepened. He had been awoken so rudely because they were having a lover's spat. He was a meddlesome man and he did love romance, but there were just some lines that one didn't cross.

"No, it's Admiral Kizaru." The Commander retorted darkly, voice thick with sarcasm. "What do you want?" Were the next angry words that he spoke.

"Errr-" Ace was clearly at a loss of what to say.

"Speak!" Izo was downright pissed. And the pilot wasn't awake even now. He glared at the bundle of covers on the bed. After her little adventure last night, he hadn't wanted to push her. But, even he had his limits. And they had been breached. Ran was going to get it.

"I'm looking for Ran?" Ace spoke from the Den Den Mushi, his voice shaky and unsure.

"Well, you're not the only one." Izo bit back. "When she gets out of bed, I'll tell her to call you."

Kacha!

The Commander didn't even allow the young pirate to respond before slamming the line shut. He was going to get the lazy pilot out of her bed first. Izo walked over, more like stomped in his anger, and tore the covers off the still bundle.

"Ran! Up you go, sweetie! You have-" Izo stopped short in his words. The bed was empty. The pillows had been skillfully put together to form a sleeping body. She didn't. That idiot, Izo thought. He had hoped to avoid this course of action. The Commander left the room in a hurry, without even putting on his make-up. Then again, this was Ran. She ran whenever she felt threatened. Izo stumbled onto the deck and quickly stopped one of the first crew members that he saw.

"Have you seen Ran?" The Commander asked, panting. The other pirate stood still with a slack jaw, taking in the usually tidy Commander's disheveled appearance. Then, he slowly nodded, his fake jaw clanking against his earring.

"Ye'. Ran-chan went fer a ride. She said she'd be back, ye. Big, tha' bird of 'ers is! Magnificent!" The crew member went quiet when the esteemed Commander slapped his own forehead, letting out a string of very colorful cuss words.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran flew. She didn't know what else to do. There was this dark cloud hanging over her, following her wherever she went. So, she flew. That was the only thing that made her feel truly alive and free right now. The darkness was stifling, suffocating her. She felt like she could flip over and die any second now. To stop those thoughts, she flew like the wind.

The Sparrow was reacting to her mood, to her dark mind, and doing dangerous somersaults at the barest of touches. Dangerous. That was how Ran had always liked it. She had been strange in her society. An odd child. She had been a girl who was more interested in machines and piloting rather than in dresses and makeup. Fashion had always been big on Arcadia. Yet, it had never really touched Ran. Sure, she hadn't been the only person without wings. There were other girls that didn't have them, yet, they were happy about that. It was because they could wear the special dresses. Ones without wing openings. Those were the girls that went on the runway shows. Ran's mother had dreamed of her little wingless baby being one of those fashion icons one day. But, Ran didn't care about that. She had simply made her own wings in the end.

But, at this moment, Ran wasn't really thinking about anything like that. She wasn't thinking at all actually. The blue skies and the clear air in front of her weren't as exciting as they usually were. In fact, she had pressed the hidden paddle one too many times already, searching for a storm. She needed more. She needed danger. She needed to be afraid. She needed her blood to be on fire once more. She needed not to be miserable.

The wind became icy against her face and her eyes were watering from the speed at which she was travelling. One look down told her that she was going fast. Faster than she had ever though that she could go. Suddenly, the bandages on her freshly stitch-free wounds were unimportant. Suddenly, she was free of everything. The past didn't matter. The present didn't matter. The future didn't matter. Ran was free as soon as she hit the storm clouds.

The rain was a given. Icy drops fell on her bare skin, but, they somehow didn't feel that cold at all. Maybe it was because she was freezing. Yes, she had forgotten her protective suit. Storm surfing in just shorts and a tank top was never a good idea. And did Ran know it. She had done it one too many times. And it never ended well.

But, she didn't care. Her mind was blank. Finally. She wasn't thinking about the assassins. She wasn't thinking about her sudden obsession with Ace. She wasn't thinking about anything. Her mind was free. She had left the dark cloud far behind her.

Now, her blood was aflame, boiling in her veins. She felt so alive. So free. So winged. The Sparrow was singing, screeching in the back of her mind, but, Ran had already gotten used to that. She steered it with minimal movements, jumping from one air current to the other. It was raw. Magical. Powerful. The machine kept flying left and right, never taking a break. It was so violently beautiful. Dangerously thrilling. Yes. This was the life that Ran had chosen. She had chosen to leave everything for the skies. For the beautiful, yet deadly, storms. She had chosen her own fate, outside of the man's law. Here, nature judged her. Here, pure force and skill decided whether she would live or die. This was where the Migratory Bird belonged. And no scars of the past would ever change that.

With a jump the Sparrow nosedived, spinning in circles. Ran ended up head down, hair wild behind her. She let go of one of the bars and let her fingers dip into the raging ocean above her. Her body was numb by now. Her legs weren't hurting from the weeks that she had spent lazing around. No, they were perfectly numb. Everything was good.

Everything around her was in dark navy shades, riddled with the pale flashes of lightning that lit up the icy drops. The Sparrow jerked up, switching currents. Ran returned her hand to the glider. It was slippery now, but her grip was firm. This wasn't her first storm. Well, the suit and gloves sure made it easier to fly, but, she had started flying with no props first, after all. Ran bent her frozen knees a bit more and then let go, lying flat onto the leather strap in between the bars. The glider sped up once more.

And then it happened again. It was like some kind of a trance. Like a blank on everything. The storm became quiet and all Ran could her was the beating of her heart and the gentle hum of the Sparrow in her head. Her blood was singing, wild and ready. For what? She had no idea. But, Ran had learned a long time ago not to question her instincts in the middle of flight. That could lead to a quick and unexpected landing. And she had done that quite a few times in her life. But, she simply let go now. She allowed her primal side to take over. She had been flying for ages. Her glider was a part of her. The air was a part of her. She was safer up here then down there, and she was also way more comfortable on the thin piece of somersaulting metal than on any land.

At some point, the storm started waning, so Ran gave chase after its center. And once she entered the whirling cloud, she saw. The paths. They were all made of light and drops, but they were so clear in her head. She knew how to tell apart air currents. By the way the birds flew. By the way the clouds moved. By the way the air smelled. But, she had seen them only twice before quite like this. The first time was when she was young. When she had jumped off the tallest building in Arcadia and given her family and all the onlookers a heart attack. And the other time had happened a few months ago, also in a storm. But, it had been brief. Like a flicker of the picture that she was seeing now.

Beautiful white and pale blue vortexes, decorated with lit up drops of rain, were coiling everywhere, inviting the young pilot to explore them. And Ran did. She could feel that pressure in her stomach letting go. This was what she had been expecting. Her eyes closed on instinct and then she could just feel. Everything. The tiny drops on her skin, hitting her closed eyelids. The small shorts and tank top, soaking, and clinging to her body. Her bare feet cutting through the air like a tail. The Sparrow humming in appreciation as it took the wheel of the ride. The force of every single lightning discharge in the skies. The dull roar of the seas below her. The call of the thrill, bringing out the daredevil in her.

For the first time in the last couple of weeks Ran felt alive.

~~~~pb~~~~

Izo spent that day on deck. And the next one. And the day after that. On the dawn of the fourth day, he finally sighted what he was looking for. A tiny speck appeared on the horizon, heading towards the huge ship of Little Oars. The Commander stared and stared, waiting. He hadn't wanted apologies from the crew members, even though the one with the accent was quite persistent in his tries to gain forgiveness. There was simply nothing to forgive. The pilot would've left with or without permission. It was good that she had at least told someone that she was going for a ride.

The speck on the horizon was slowly becoming larger. Izo squinted praying that it was the bird that he was looking for. Not a cloud. Not lost seagull. The Sparrow. That ridiculous girl was going to have to do some explaining. Not because she was an ally of the Whitebeard Pirates. No. Because she was his friend. She should damn well explain herself. Did Ran think that Izo wouldn't understand? Did she think that she was the only one battling her demons? They all had them. They all fought them each and every day. She simply hadn't had the guts to. She preferred running away.

A ray of sunlight hit the speck in just the right angle and it shone suddenly, as if aflame. Yes, this was the right bird, Izo concluded. She had better have a good reason for not telling him that she was going. He would've appreciated her taking the snail at least. Contacting him once in a while. What if her wounds had opened? She was a dunce when it came to medicine. She could've died out there.

The bird was in full view now, coming closer and closer. The wide wings spread all the way as it circled around the ship, slowing down. The crew and their giant captain cheered as their 'Ran-chan' landed on the deck gently and gracefully. Izo was one of the last to reach her. He waited for her to greet the crew and to make her excuses. Then, he gave her a look and Ran returned a bright smile. Well, that was a first. He hadn't seen that smile in quite a while. It was the bright, open mouthed smile, full of joy.

"Izo." She greeted grabbing him in a hug. The shocked Commander didn't even object when his beautiful kimono became wet from her soaked clothes. He returned the hug, but made sure to make it brief.

"You're soaked, dear. Let's get you into a hot bath." The pink Commander told her, pushing her away from him gently. Suddenly, the anxiety and rage that he had been waiting with weren't there anymore. How could he be angry? She had gone to fight her demons. And she had won. She wasn't even trying to hide her scars anymore. She wasn't shying away from the curious eyes of the crew. Ran had coped. Now, she could heal.

"And we should dye my hair!" The pilot supplied, grabbing Izo's hand and pulling him along enthusiastically. "I bought this hair dye a while back on an island, because we said that we should dye my hair, and I haven't had the chance to use it." She was smiling and talking insanely fast, gesturing with her hands all the while.

"Yes, we did say that, didn't we, love?" Izo joined in, relieved. The Migratory Bird was back to normal.

~~~~pb~~~~

Koto sat on the shore, fiddling with a kasa. It had been a couple of weeks since the Moby Dick had left the bay of Wano Kuni. And, Koto noticed that it had become so quiet. Somehow dull and ordinary. He missed the excitement and the fun of the pirate crew. Somewhere along the way, during those couple of quiet and peaceful days, Koto had made up his mind. True, he wasn't all that good with the sword. He wasn't world class. But, he knew how to craft traditional katana and how to use them. He also knew how to survive in the wild. He could cook, clean and find necessities. He could navigate by the stars. Yes, he had made up his mind.

The young samurai-to-be pushed himself up with a tiny smile on his face, enjoying the breeze on his face. He placed the kasa on his head, pushing the string below his chin. He could still see the small scorch mark on the inside edge from the time when Ace-dono had been too frustrated to focus on his task. He loved the gift that his new pirate friend had given him. It was like an object of inspiration. Something that showed him that the dream was possible. Like Ace-dono. The young pirate was living his dream. He was brave enough to dare make it a reality. And Koto would learn from the raven. It was his turn to do his best.

"Are you leaving, my little samurai?" A melodic and deep female voice came from behind the young man. The teen turned to see a beautiful woman dressed in a decorated kimono. Her face was full of make-up, but it didn't do anything to stifle her natural beauty, like the layers often did.

"Yes, Okaa-sama." The woman smiled a polite, yet clearly practiced, smile at her son's way of speaking. He was too traditional, like his father. Too polite. Too sheltered. She worried for him.

"Stay safe, my little warrior." The woman's hug was warm and gentle, like a blanket. She smelled familiar to Koto. Like home. She had this delicate flowery scent that he would recognize everywhere. It reminded him of his childhood. Of the time when he was still just learning how to hold a sword and a hammer. This scent was what came to soothe his wounds.

The young man gave a tiny nod into his mother's shoulder, stifling his tears.

**That's all folks! (I know, it was a bit short :( )**

**Reviews:**

**Lilikoikoi: I'm sorry for the slow update, I was having a humongous writers block. And it was not going away xD Please don't die! *Resuscitates* **

**Wren: Oh, how I missed you! I keep expecting your review on this story that I'm writing now, and then I'm like, wait, wrong story xD**

**I have been swamped… I know how you feel… college is around 8 hours a day for me, plus studies and activities and all that… The writing has suffered… I was having a major writers block… It's a shock that it hadn't come earlier (I'm still a bit worried as this is my longest story)**

**Yeah, Ran needed to evolve. I'm trying to make every character evolve at least a bit, but she is still my main focus :) **

**Marco and Jade were absolutely perfect in the last chapter :3 Well, he was getting drunk because of the origin of the drink. As Wano is a pretty primitive country (no offense or anything), they make their booze the traditional way. And, Marco's body simply didn't recognize it as a foreign substance. It was like drinking juice. After a while, it kicked in, as he did slowly sober up during his moment of realization (insert Jade in his bed here). I was rather sneaky about the whole thing, too xD**

**Glad you enjoyed :D Till next time!**


	29. Paradise City

**Welcome ladies and gents!**

**Let's begin with a thanks to mittensx7768, .peRFecT and Kuinmagi for the alerts and mittensx7768, Simplewriting, Kuinmagi and 13 for the favs! Welcome, and do come and chat in the reviews!**

**I am definitely not ending the story at 30chaps, but I will end this one soon. I promise a sequel :D I just feel like all the characters have grown enough for one story… I suppose…**

**Chapter 29: Paradise City – Guns N' Roses**

Macro sat in the crow's nest, relaxing. His night was going slow and peaceful, just how he liked them. The past couple of weeks had been fun. Full of things. Ace had been recommended for a Commander position. Although a little unexpected, the phoenix had to be honest and admit that it was a good fit. Fire Fist was flashy, loud and spirited. He would do well and motivate his Division. Ace was also quite smart, despite his aloof demeanor. When he actually sat and cooled his head, which was rare, he could come up with some pretty amazing strategies. He still sucked at using Haki, but that could improve in time. He was plenty strong anyway. And he had Leo by his side.

Marco had been skeptical when the Captain had allowed the blonde refugee on the ship for the first time. The youth had been silent, calculating, looking at everyone as if they were a Zodiac assassin. Sure, you were expecting an attack at the sea, but not at that scale. The former refugee had been a bit too cautious for Marco's taste. A bit too insubordinate. But, he had changed. And now, when he had put the crew as his allies, as his family, he had borne his claws and jaws on their enemies. Ace was a formidable foe, but with Leo on his side, they would be unstoppable. They complimented each other well.

While Ace was hotheaded and rash, Leo was calculating and calm. The raven relied on brute force and the element of surprise, while his companion was known to use his head in battle, quick and well placed attacks. Yes, if Ace became Commander with Leo as his advisor, that would be a good combination. Marco could see it happening.

The first mate already missed Wano Kuni. It was strange, how attached he had become to a foreign country. Maybe it was because Izo was from there? He had spent a tad too much time with the strange Commander. Izo was good to be around. He was a gentle soul, hurt one too many times. Rejection was always a pain to deal with, and Izo was a perfect example of someone who had lived through it. The man was eccentric in his ways to say the least. He liked to cross dress, and put make-up on and he liked fashion and romance. It was simply strange. But, despite his flamboyant exterior, the man was an exemplary warrior, like all Wano Kuni residents. A little too fascinated with his guns, but a formidable foe on the battlefield and the greatest support amongst allies. When Izo had your back, you could go weaponless with eyes tightly shut. The phoenix, too, trusted the strange Commander with his life.

Maybe that was why he felt so connected to Wano? It was a traditional, sheltered, almost dream-like country, which reminded him of his fellow Commander. He wasn't really sure. However, he sure missed the many samurai that he could challenge to duels freely, no holding back while fighting. Marco always held back. He always restrained his powers, whether it was Haki, his Devil Fruit abilities or his physical strength. It was always something. The first mate liked to keep his talents a secret, so that he could use them as an element of surprise when needed. He had always been like that. Overly cautious and secretive with iron will. Maybe that is why he never liked other secretive and cool headed people? At least in the beginning. He warmed up to them if they became allies.

Marco's nature came in handy on the ship, though. He was overly observant and very open about it. Like with Chameleone. That could've turned into a right mess. This way, the man had been voted out on the Commander Meeting with almost no punishment. He hadn't done any harm yet, after all. However, the pirate was forbidden to ally himself with any of the Whitebeard associates. He was an enemy of the strongest man alive. That was punishment enough. And the deserted island that they had dumped him on. Thatch was devious with his ideas. The pompadour couldn't be persuaded once he decided on something. He had basically made all the other Commanders support him. That was his skill. And it was intriguing.

"Alone again?" The voice shocked Marco, but he forced the reaction down. He hadn't noticed anyone come close to him. She had improved.

"Just thinking, yoi." The phoenix responded, moving to the side a bit to give doc some space so sit. She gracefully accepted and passed him a wine bottle. She liked that wine, he knew. She liked white wine. Peculiar. He didn't hate it, but he didn't love it either. He tolerated it. Mostly because of Jade.

Jade. Yes. He tolerated a lot because of her. The past couple of weeks had been rocky. She hadn't come to his room since the day when he had gotten drunk off fruit wine. Marco wasn't sure that he wanted her to come to his room, either. It was simply too tempting by now. Clearly, the self-control that he took pride in wasn't as iron as he thought that it was. Jade was the one that would make him come undone. He had known that from long ago.

And it disgusted him.

She was a child in his eyes. For the love of Calypso, he could be her father. And there he was, dreaming of her. Itching to touch, to taste. Maybe it was because Jade acted older than she was, and was far more mature, while Marco took on a playful demeanor more than often. He wanted and needed her, but she was forbidden. And she never tried to distance herself from him. She strutted about as if she didn't know anything of his temptation. She was going to be his end, that was for sure.

"Don't think too much now." She teased him, taking a sip from her wine bottle. He liked her deep voice. It was low and exotic. Like she was constantly putting a spell on him. She was intoxicating. And Marco couldn't get enough.

He managed a low grunt in response, breathing in the soft scent of tea and medicinal herbs. Calming and soothing, like the person carrying it. She was a volcano more than often, but, her nature was gentle. Marco would know. He supposed that that was the reason why she had become a doctor. She knew how to be soothing. She knew how to be calm. She complimented Marco's slow pace perfectly, volcano or not.

A soft and warm hand touched Marco's and he almost jumped. He looked down from the horizon to see Jade's dark skin clashing with his pale one. It was small. So small and delicate, her hand. Not long ago he had wrapped those fingers in bandages. By the Triton, she had been low. Marco's eyes searched for doc's and he took in their bag-less state. She was sleeping at least a bit, which was good.

The cool glass of the wine bottle surprised the phoenix a bit, but he still accepted it. A small sip later, as Marco wasn't a big fan of the drink, he gave it back. Doc giggled, but took the wine back. Her laugh was melodic and deep, too, just like her words.

"You never liked this, did you?"

"No." Marco returned his eyes onto the horizon. They were on course and the seas were calm. No ship or storm in sight. Jade moved beside him, but he chose to ignore it. When her face appeared right in front of him, he couldn't anymore.

"Then, what do you want?" She had that smile on her face. She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew how she made him feel. She was enjoying his suffering. Damned woman.

"World peace, yoi." The first mate schooled his voice. It was even, bored sounding. He evaded her eyes. Looking at her now wouldn't end well. Instead, he focused on the North Star. Celestial navigation. He could do that.

"My thoughts exactly." Doc's voice came again, only much nearer than before. Marco made a mistake, on instinct, and looked at Jade. She was too close. Right in front of him. He could see the individual, curly strands of her dark hair falling into her face. His hand reached up and pushed them off her eyes and back into her hair. Now he could almost count her eyelashes. He could see the specks of gold in her brown eyes. Her pupils were wide. She was too close.

"I never pegged you for a world peace groupie, yoi." A lazy smile appeared on Marco's face. He was in control. He always was. Jade couldn't surprise him. She never had and she never will. What happened happened and he almost always calculated it into his possible scenarios. Marco was just like that.

"Maybe you just don't know me as well as you would like to think that you do." She spoke slowly and Marco felt every single word. He could smell the delicate white wine on her breath, mingled with tea and herbs. The hot breath caressed his lips as she spoke. She was too close.

"I don't thi-" He didn't get to finish. Jade had moved forward, her lips silencing his sentence. It didn't really matter anymore. Marco couldn't remember what they had been talking about. He didn't trust himself to speak now. He would most likely blubber something unintelligent. You would too if your years long dream just came true.

Jade's lips were softer and warmer than Marco had ever imagined them to be. They caressed his, playful, but gentle. The hand that had pushed her hair back was suddenly on the back of her neck, making her stay where she was. The phoenix couldn't allow her to back out now. She was where he had dreamed of her being for ages. He would take this moment.

Jade stilled her slow kiss and almost pulled away. She was still there, their lips touching, not moving anywhere. Marco was aware that he wasn't breathing. He allowed a small exhale and inhale though his nose, but nothing else. As is he were terrified that it would scare her away. She had finally come to him. He was tired of waiting. It was like he could finally breathe again. Like he was finally alive again.

The phoenix moved his mouth against Jade's slowly, sometimes touching, but mostly just being millimeters away. He felt her shudder in his arms. Yes, he had his arms wrapped around her by now. She finally opened her eyes and looked at him. Gods, she looked so vulnerable. She looked so young.

A loud crash was heard and Marco jumped away, disentangling himself from Jade. He looked about and saw that the forgotten bottle of wine had rolled all the way to the edge of the crow's nest and then slipped down to the deck. But the spell was broken.

What had he done?

Marco's panicked gaze met Jade's confused and hopeful one. Oh, Calypso. She expected something. She wanted something more from him. No. He couldn't. He could be her father! She was too young. Too naive. He couldn't. What had he done?

"I-I'm going to go clean that up, yoi." Marco's voice cracked. His hand went through his blonde hair in an attempt to lose the warmth of Jade's back that was clinging to it. "Can you take the rest of the watch?" He finally looked at her again and saw disappointment and pain. Something in him cracked.

What had he done?

He had upset the balance. There was no going back now. Jade gave a small nod, brushing her wild hair behind her ears. She was silent as he collected his things as went down the rigging. She never even said goodnight. She always said goodnight.

Just what had he done?

~~~~pb~~~~

Ace jumped onto the deck of the huge ship of Little Oars once again. He secured the rope to the railing and then threw it to Leo who was on Moby Dick. Commander Izo had finally come back on the ally ship and now they were linking the vessels, as they would be travelling together for some time. Little Oars was ecstatic about it, already drinking and chatting with Whitebeard. Apparently, the Old Man had known the giant for quite some time. Since the Second Division was in charge of cleaning and ship health, they were tying the vessels carefully together. It was of great importance to have them easily detachable in case of a battle. It was also necessary for them to be able to sail properly while bound, so the task was delicate. It was actually Ace's first time doing something like this, and he was following Leo's instructions to a t.

The raven had to admit that he had been a bit disappointed when he found out that Ran wasn't onboard. He had been looking forward to seeing the attractive pilot. He didn't only miss her in a sexual sense. He genuinely missed her company. She had called him a while back, after her little demon-facing trip. She had apologized, she seemed to do that a lot, and she had asked about him. Ace, of course, was a very humble young lad. He had told her all about his escapades, about the possible promotion and about Wano Kuni.

Surprisingly, Ran, too, supported Leo's opinion that Ace would do quite well on the high position. She had talked to him about it quite openly. Told him about her views on authority. Ran didn't have problems talking about her home island, which was called Arcadia, as Ace found out. In his experience, they were two types of people those who didn't shut up about their families and past, like Kondor, and those who were touchy on that subject and evaded those conversations, like Leo. And most of those who were open to talking about the past, and there weren't many, still told only half truths. Ran wasn't one of those. She was of the rarest of the rare. He could see that the past hurt her, but she didn't dwell on it. She accepted and moved on. Lived with the scars, both metaphorically and physically. He admired her for that. He couldn't do it. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to do it.

Anyways, the pilot had listened to his self-doubt rant and bounced ideas with him. By the end of their long conversation Ace was ready to accept the possible promotion. He was a pirate. It was a given that he was reckless and went headfirst into danger. Being cautious had never been his style. So, why was he so worried about his bad blood being exposed? If it got to it, he would explain. He would talk to his brothers. But, until then, he was safe. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them. And Ace would do his best to keep his origins a secret. A deeply buried one.

"Ace!" The raven's head snapped up from the knot, searching for the speaker. He gave a wide grin to Thatch. "Come on! We're going on a fieldtrip!" Ace raised an eyebrow and looked to Leo. The blonde smiled a small and gentle smile.

"Go. I've got this." With that he jumped over to Little Oars' ship and took the abandoned knot.

"Thanks. I owe you one." And Ace was back on Moby Dick, catching up to the pompadour. "Where are we going?" He asked the Commander once he caught up. Thatch grinned but didn't answer. "Thatch?"

"You've been voted in, brother!" The pompadour exclaimed. Ace felt his eyebrow rise further.

"For some sort of a secret group or something?" The confused raven questioned. Now, the Commander laughed. He was leading Ace towards his rooms.

"You could say so."

"Thatch, what are you talking about?"

The pompadour stopped and suddenly turned around. "The Commanders have allowed your application for the Commander of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates."

Ace could swear that his heart stopped for a second. However, that didn't matter as everything in his vision swam and he slumped to the floor, asleep.

"Seriously?" Thatch asked no one in particular, arms crossed and watching the snoring pirate. "And I was being all cool about it. I think I need to find a more entertaining punch line." He paused for a second, thoughtful. "Spontaneous music and dancers would be nice, too."

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran let go of the air current and enjoyed the brief moment of weightlessness that ensued. Then, the Sparrow caught the other path and sped up. She was lying on the leather strip, relaxed, speeding across the seas with a half-empty storage. She had just finished a job. A first real job in weeks. She felt great.

The Sparrow was doing great, never missing an air current that she directed him to. He was singing in her head, the connecting helmet allowing their mental bridge to stay intact. Ran could swear sometimes that she could hear him even with the helmet off. But, that had to be a trick of her mind. She had probably heard a bird on the island and mistaken it for her bird.

In her peripheral vision something moved and Ran whipped her head around quickly, goggles on her eyes. She had gotten new ones recently. She needed some eye protection. They were blue, making all the colors much clearer than they actually were.

There was nothing moving on her right. She stared for a while longer. There were various dangers in the skies. There were large birds and strange flying animals. Sometimes, the White Sea came so low that you would enter it if you weren't careful. Then, you could encounter a Skyshark without even knowing that it was coming, especially if you were in a glider. The flying vessel was designed to cut through the cloudsea and wouldn't show much change even if it did enter it. There were also hostile Sky Islands that floated dangerously low.

Arcadia was a very developed island. They had their own government and economy and had even developed trade with various Sky and Blue Sea Islands, which was unusual for the Sky people. They usually preferred to stay up there and not get involved with the Blue Sea dwellers. The Sky people believed the world below them to be primitive, unintelligent and dangerous. Which was ridiculous in Ran's opinion.

However, Arcadia was one of the highly developed Sky Islands. Made as a giant, beating and moving mechanism, which needed constant feeding to live, it was less of a Sky Island and more of a vessel in Ran's opinion. It required the trade with Blue Sea to provide coal for the humongous ovens that allowed its heart to move. Somehow, it had always reminded her of a giant war machine, separated into levels. She had never liked war. She had never liked violence. Maybe that was why she hadn't called Arcadia her home in ages? The beautiful island had thorns everywhere you went, bringing a sick feeling to Ran's stomach.

There were other Islands, of course. Ran had gone with Shrimp on her first exploring flight when she was very young and they had seen quite a few other Islands. However, Ran noticed, even back then, that there had been something wrong with them, in comparison to Arcadia. Later, she learned that it was her own home Island that was wrong, even though the other Islands were quite a bit more primitive compared to it. There was Skypiea, which still waged a very stupid war in Ran's opinion. Then, there was the strange Weatheria, which was just plain insane. They had also visited Hanalia, which was some kind of a Skylife paradise and Terralea, which didn't have any land, despite its name. However, out of all the Islands that Ran had been to, only Arcadia traded with the Blue Sea. True, Weatheria had some connections, but they weren't as solid as the Metal City's. The Island filled with weird, weather obsessed, old men was plain strange.

A strong gust of wind hit the glider head on and it left the current violently. With a frown Ran took off the mask that went over her nose and mouth during the flight. It was useful to shield from the cold, but it stopped her from using one of her primary senses, smell. The mask came with the suit, though, and Ran had started using it recently. Well, she had started using it after discovering it. She wasn't embarrassed to admit that she was a bit on the slow side in that department. She knew her flying vessels and skies. That was it.

Purupurupuru!

The snail in her pouch rang. A grin appeared on Ran's face, despite the fact that she could smell a snowstorm now. With her free hand she tucked her mask into the collar of her suit and pulled the Den Den Mushi out. She allowed the terrified blue snail to attach to the crook of her neck, snuggling into it as far as it could go, before picking up.

"This is the Sparrow, how may I help you?" A job! Please be a job! Ran wanted another one. She was still a on a high from her previous delivery. The incoming storm wasn't helping by making her even more excited. Besides, she needed the money.

"Aaah! Ran-chan!" The familiar voice of Red Hair Shanks came through the Den Den Mushi. "Where does the Sparrow fly these days?"

Red Hair. She had done business with his crew quite a few times. The pay was good and the crew was nice, but frankly, they scared the crap out of Ran. Shanks was capable of flipping from jolly to deadly in a second. And his crew soon followed. She didn't know how to deal with people like those. Sure, some of them were rather alright, but mostly they terrified her. She wasn't that good at reading people. Ran preferred to leave that to either Bohai or Izo.

But, Red Hair. She had had a chance to see his first mate in action. The man was a beast. It had taken Ran twenty minutes after the brief battle, more like one sided beat down, to move her legs and ten more to stop trembling. Sure, they were jolly and a good laugh most of the time, but Ran had seen the sharp teeth and claws behind the giant smile and booze. She didn't have a problem working with them, but she would always choose Whitebeard as her primary ally. He was a man that she could understand. He was a father of many children. He would give his life for any of them. Maybe that's why she felt so connected to the Old Man? Because her own father had always been distant. Because she envied the members of the Whitebeard Pirate crew.

"Currently I am in the waters of the New World. I have passed Wano Kuni and I am heading further North, sir." Ran's voice was calm and her face was serious as she spoke, despite the noise of the quickly building storm in front of her.

"Ran-chan! Always so formal!" She could hear the pout on his scarred face.

"Captain!" Someone rumbled in the background, trying to focus the scatterbrained pirate Captain. There was laughter and music from Shanks' side of the line. A loud roar of thunder broke in the skies and Ran looked up. A gray cloud was forming quickly. She didn't feel like playing with this snowstorm. Too cold right now. She didn't want to get sick. She couldn't remember the last time that she had gotten sick.

"Ran-chan? Are you still there? Are you in a storm?" Right, Shanks. Ran adjusted her position, slipping one leg to the hidden paddle and pressed.

"I am able to speak." She replied, urging the Sparrow with her mind. Red Hair laughed again. He appeared to be quite drunk. Something clanked onto the left wing of the glider and Ran looked. Another clank right in front of her. Fuck her life. Not a snowstorm. Hailstorm. Another clank resounded and then all hell ensued.

"Good, good. I heard that you were allying yourself with Whitebeard. Does that mean that you don't deliver to other crews anymore?" Shanks kept talking, ignoring the loud sounds of the storm from Ran's side. She pressed the paddle again and again, gaining momentum.

"I merely accepted the protection that he offered. My line of business is quite dangerous, sir." Ran spoke calmly. The shards of ice were getting bigger and bigger as the storm grew. However, Ran wasn't a good pilot. She was a great pilot. The improved Sparrow listened to her thoughts, to her touches, and moved without her having to switch positions and use body weight to change course. Her bird twirled through the air, evading the falling ice like a dance of sorts as his pilot multitasked.

"Oh, that's great! Then, you wouldn't mind picking something up for me, would you?"

"Not at all, sir."

~~~~pb~~~~

Leo wondered into the kitchen, tired and sore. Little Oars was a joy to have around, but he and his crew were a little too eccentric for the blonde's taste. He had done his paperwork and partied for a while, but then, he had decided to head to the, likely empty, kitchens for a midnight snack. He was alone, as Ace and Thatch had left for Ace's Commander initiation. Well, education, but, he was still going to get the welcome prank from Thatch, Leo didn't dare doubt that.

With the raven gone, it was quite boring for Leo on the ship. He had been all too serious before Ace had joined. Now, whenever the raven left, he reversed to his old persona, becoming a recluse that he enjoyed being. Leo had always preferred reading a good book and drinking a nice cup of tea to fighting and exploring the wide blue. Maybe he wasn't cut out for this after all?

When he opened the door to the, recently finished, kitchen, he saw that the lights were on, to his surprise. Sure enough, there was a small, blonde girl at one of the larger tables, papers everywhere. She was sitting, bent over them. Her hair was in a messy bun and she looked like she had been there for a while.

"Oh! I give up!" Penny suddenly exclaimed, surprising Leo a bit. She pushed the papers away from her and pulled a cup closer. "I'm never going to understand these." She murmured into the liquid. Leo walked forwards, his steps silent, like a cat's. When he got close enough, he peered over her tiny form, reading the papers. Various charts of the seas and of the skies lay before the small cook, completely out of order. She also had a notebook, where he supposed that she was trying to take some kind of notes, but it wasn't looking too good. He extended his hand over her and flipped one of the charts around.

"This is the way you look at it." He told the girl, causing her to jump. She whirled around, big caramel eyes meeting Leo's. He gave her a reassuring smile. He was always cautious around the girl. He suspected her to be a very fragile thing.

"Leo-sama, you surprised me!" She squeaked, voice cracking. "I expected pirates to be louder." Penny said with a smile, turning back to her maps. She quickly attempted to stand up, but Leo stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to sit down?" She asked him, locking eyes once more.

Leo took the invitation, sitting down, but leaving some space in between of them. "I didn't expect anyone to be down here." He said, feeling like he should explain why he was down there.

Penny gave a small laugh. "I didn't feel like partying tonight. There will be another chance tomorrow anyways."

"True." The pirate said, inspecting another map. "Are you interested in navigation?" He didn't know Penny well. He wasn't comfortable around girls like her. Gentle and sweet. Those that tended to cry. He preferred female pirates. Loud and violent, low chance of waterworks.

"Somewhat. But, it really isn't for me. I don't understand these at all." She seemed down. Leo looked at her expression and felt guilt in his stomach. She looked broken. Like her wings had just been crushed. "I should return them to the library." And then Penny started collecting the papers.

"Anyone can learn the basics of celestial navigation." Leo told her, looking at the map in front of him. Penny didn't answer for a moment.

"Maybe I'm just stupid, then." Her voice was small, down. Leo looked up to see her looking at the maps in her arms, brought down by his words.

"Maybe you just haven't been taught by the right person." He smiled as he told her that. Penny looked up, her watery eyes lit with disbelief and hope. Leo wouldn't trade that face for the world.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Are you certain that your information is good?" A middle aged man asked, looking skeptical. The redheaded kid gave him a nod, face impassive. The man inspected his papers once more. This kid was rather strange, came in and handed information on pirates and Zodiacs, not caring about any kind of rewards.

"Do you want this information, fucker?" A right foul mouth on the kid. The man looked up and froze. The green eyes were piercing, looking at him like he was prey. Suddenly, he noticed that something was off. There weren't two eyes staring at him from the dimly lit room. There were four.

He rubbed his eyes, and looked again. Two. Just two eyes. Just one kid. One creepy kid.

"I can't give you much, kid. Maybe 1000 beli?" The information was worth at least a couple of thousands. Ok, let's be honest, it was in the high double digits of the thousands. The green eyes surveyed the room, as if looking for the money.

"I don't need the fucking money, jerk." The kid's tone was icy, dangerous, despite being a clear indicator of his young age. "Just print it as soon as possible."

"Hey now, I don't have that kind of-" The man stood to complain, but then met an empty room. "Where did he go?" The reporter wondered. He looked back down at the pictures and texts. Well, information about the Zodiac didn't come every day to an unknown reporter such as him. Better start writing.

**That's all folks!**

**Reviews:**

**Wren: Yeaah… update… yep xD I've had that annoying writers block… I promise that it's not going to be a forever ending xD I love Ran and Ace too much… I have plans all the way to the whole Dressrosa Saga :P**

**More Ran growth… and some more xD She's a tough one to write hahaha I was quite inspired by The Legend of the Guardians (that's not The Rise of the Guardians, I do love that one, too xD) I heard the Jessie J song and I was in the must-listen-till-I-hate-it mode xD**

**I just couldn't leave Koto out :P He had to have his little moment…**

**I'm glad that you like the other story :D I'm kind of juggling now xD I can't help but love Kanda… he is… Kanda… he hates so much… so interesting to write xD**

**I know that you asked for some AcexRan and it's coming, but, the MarcoxJade is there till then :P**

**All the best!**

**Lilikoikoi: Great! I give you more reviving material :D**


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